Woodlice are terrestrial isopods in the suborder Oniscidea, taking their name from being often found in old wood; despite the name they are neither parasitic nor insects. Other common names include slater, sow bug and wood pig, varying widely by region. They are primarily detritivorous, contributing to the humification process by breaking down litter, and their basic body plan is a segmented, dorso-ventrally flattened form with seven pairs of jointed legs; some species, in families such as Armadillidae and Armadillidiidae, can roll into a roughly spherical shape as a defensive mechanism or to conserve moisture.
Facts
Classification
DietDetritivore or Scavenger 1 DietDetritivore or Scavenger 1 System (Realm) System (Realm) System (Realm) Relationship to PeopleInvasive or Introduced Species 1 Living or Extinct Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceSegmented, dorso-ventrally flattened body with seven pairs of jointed legs 1 Comparison
CITES Appendix Scientific Name Connections
Child Taxon Of
Source Wikidata: Woodlouse
In Biome
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. Woodlouse - Wikipedia
Lead paragraph
Woodlice are terrestrial isopods in the suborder Oniscidea.
Description and life cycle
Woodlice have a basic morphology of a segmented, dorso-ventrally flattened body with seven pairs of jointed legs, and have some or all five pairs of their pleopods (swimming legs) adapted for respiration.
Distribution
Some species, like Hyloniscus riparius, are moving out of their original western European range, and are now invasive in a number of Russian ecosystems.
In Biome: Desert, Ecology
Woodlice need moisture because they rapidly lose water by excretion and evaporation through their cuticle, and so are usually found in damp, dark places, such as under rocks and logs, although one species, the desert-dwelling Hemilepistus reaumuri, inhabits "the driest habitat conquered by any species of crustacean".
View the Source2. World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS)
3. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ216191, descriptionView the Source 4. UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat): Species+: Gastropoda
UNEP-WCMC Species+ database (CITES Secretariat)Species+ taxon_concepts, id 44Quote, Species+ taxon_concepts, id 44
"cites_listing":"I/II/NC","eu_listing":"A/B/D/NC","higher_taxa":{"kingdom":"Animalia","phylum":"Mollusca","class":"Gastropoda","order":null,"family":null},"synonyms":[],"common_names":[{"name":"Snails And Conches","language":"EN"},{"name":"Escargots Et Strombes","language":"FR"},{"name":"Caracoles Y Conchas","language":"ES"},{"name":"腹足纲","language":"ZH"}],"cites_listings":[]
Wikidata: Woodlouse
- Wikidata Q216191, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
- Child Taxon Of: Malacostraca, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain
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