A woodlouse is a terrestrial Crustacé with a Exosquelette rigid, segmented, calcareous, of pale color yellowish-brown (rather in the young people) with noirâtre while passing by the gray slate. The carapace is sometimes almost transparent.

They form the sub-order of the oniscides ( Oniscidea ) in of the Isopodes, with more than 3.000 S known including more than 160 in France (Vandel, 1962) .
On ground, the woodlice form one of Invertébré S of the junction of the Arthropode S. They have seven pairs of legs walkers.

The woodlice need moisture and thus are usually found in the wet and dark places, under the sheets, under the barks, in the deadwood, rock anfractuosities or the cellars. They are Lucifuge S and usually night S. They are Détritiphage S, feeding only from the died vegetable matter, thus contributing to the recycling of the Nécromasse.

Some woodlice can roll themselves in ball when they feel threatened, leaving only their exposed back armoured . They are distinguished from the Gloméris (millepede) by the more significant number of plates tergales, when they are in ball.

A woodlouse female will maintain eggs fertilized on the lower part of his body. The mother seems “ then to give birth ” to her offspring.

List under-let us tax

List families

• family Dubioniscidae Schultz, 1995
• family Irmaosidae Ferrara and Tahiti, 1983
• family Pseudarmadillidae Vandel, 1973
• family Scleropactidae Verhoeff, 1938

List kinds

• Ligiamorpha Vandel, 1943
• Tylomorpha Vandel, 1943

External references

External bonds

• Cloporteweb : Very complete site on the woodlice, in particular on the species of Normandy

Simple: Sow bug