Armadillidium vulgare
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| Species: | A. vulgare
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Armadillidium vulgare, the (common) pill-bug or (common) pill woodlouse, is a widespread European species of woodlouse. It is the most extensively investigated terrestrial isopod species.[2]
Description
Armadillidium vulgare may reach a length of 18 millimetres (0.71 in), and is capable of rolling into a ball when disturbed; this ability, along with its general appearance, gives it the name pill-bug and also creates the potential for confusion with pill millipedes such as Glomeris marginata.[3] It can be distinguished from Armadillidium nasatum and Armadillidium depressum, the only other British species in the genus, by the gap that A. nasatum and A. depressum leave when rolling into a ball; A. vulgare does not leave such a gap.[4]
Ecology
A. vulgare is able to withstand drier conditions than many other woodlouse species, and is restricted to calcareous soils or coastal areas.[3] It feeds chiefly on decaying plant matter, but also grazes lichens and algae from tree bark and walls.[5]
It is able to regulate its temperature through its behaviour, preferring bright sunshine when temperatures are low, but remaining in shadow when temperatures are high; temperatures below −2 °C (28 °F) or above 36 °C (97 °F) are lethal to it.[6] A. vulgare is less susceptible to cold during the night, and may enter a state of dormancy during the winter in order to survive temperatures which would otherwise be lethal.[6]
Distribution
The native distribution of A. vulgare ranges across Europe, especially in the Mediterranean region .[2] In the United Kingdom, A. vulgare is very common in southern and eastern England, but is more confined to coastal areas in the north.[7] Similarly, in Ireland, A. vulgare is common in the south and east, but rarer in the north and west.[8]
A. vulgare has been introduced to many locations in North America, where it may reach population densities of up to 10,000 individuals per square metre.[9] It is now one of the most abundant invertebrate species in California coastal grassland habitats.[10] It has also been introduced, to a lesser extent, to sites across the world.[2]
Relationships with people
Because of their unusual yet non-threatening appearance, some Armadillidium vulgare are kept as pets in areas throughout the U.S., typically among children. Among adults, they are often seen as unwanted (but essentially harmless) home pests.[11] Keeping a pet pill bug requires a very moist habitat with limited light and lots of decaying plant matter.[12] They can often live up to three years.[11]
See also
References
- ^ "Armadillidium vulgare". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.
- ^ a b c d Helmut Schmalfuss (2003). "World catalog of terrestrial isopods (Isopoda: Oniscidea) — revised and updated version" (PDF). Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde, Serie A. 654: 341 pp.
- ^ a b "Pill woodlouse (Armadillidium vulgare)". ARKive.org. Retrieved February 13, 2009.
- ^ "Woodlouse Wizard: an identification key". Natural History Museum. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
- ^ "Common pill woodlouse — Armadillidium vulgare". Natural England. Retrieved February 13, 2009.
- ^ a b Roberto Refinetti (1984). "Behavioral temperature regulation in the pill bug, Armadillidium vulgare (Isopoda)". Crustaceana. 47 (1): 29–43. doi:10.1163/156854084X00298.
- ^ "Armadillidium vulgare". Natural History Museum. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
- ^ "Grid map of records on the Gateway for Common Pill Woodlouse (Armadillidium vulgare)". NBN Gateway. Retrieved February 13, 2009.
- ^ Jan Frouza, Richard Lobinske, Jirí Kalcík & Arshad Ali (2008). "Effects of the exotic crustacean, Armadillidium vulgare (Isopoda), and other macrofauna on organic matter dynamics in soil microcosms in a hardwood forest in central Florida". Florida Entomologist. 91 (2): 328–331. doi:10.1653/0015-4040(2008)91[328:EOTECA]2.0.CO;2.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Oscar H. Paris (1963). "The ecology of Armadillidium vulgare (Isopoda: Oniscoidea) in California grassland: food, enemies, and weather". Ecological Monographs. 33 (1). Ecological Society of America: 1–22. doi:10.2307/1948475. JSTOR 1948475.
- ^ a b Smith-Rogers, Sheryl (October 2009). "Wild Thing: Roly-Poly Pillbugs". TPW Magazine. Retrieved July 10, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Stanley A. Schultz & Marguerite J. Schultz (2009). The Tarantula Keeper's Guide: Comprehensive Information on Care, Housing, and Feeding. Barron's Educational Series. pp. 181–183. ISBN 978-0-7641-3885-0.