The British Woodlice / Being a Monograph of the Terrestrial Isopod Crustacea Occurring in the British Islands

by Wilfred Mark Webb; Charles Sillem

In the last stages of the development the appendages become larger still, the heart makes its appearance, segmentation of the body is completed, and except that the seventh pair of walking legs are as yet rudimentary the woodlouse is completed. It is only after hatching that the pair of legs mentioned, attain to their normal length.

The process of segmentation of the egg and the formation of its layers lasts about a fortnight, while the completion of the development proceeds much more rapidly, for another three weeks bring it to an end.

After the first moult or change of skin the last pair of walking legs makes its appearance, and Mr. James B. Casserley [whose work one of us (75) has described elsewhere] found when keeping a number of the common pill-woodlouse (Armadillidium vulgare) in captivity that his specimens did not subsequently change their skins more than once in the six months during which he had them under observation. He also noted that the crustaceans go on growing after they are sexually mature. As his specimens grew older, Mr. Casserley noticed that their colour became darker, and a curious point recorded by him is that two examples of the same age may change their skins at the same time, and while one may have afterwards nearly twice as many markings, on the other very few at all will be seen. The time required for the growth of a woodlouse from the size of a pin's head to that of an adult example—say three-quarters-of-an-inch long—must be fairly considerable, taking into account the fact that any appreciable increase in size can only occur at a moult and Mr. Casserley's observations as to the infrequency of the process in Armadillidium vulgare. ([See p. 13].)

Habits and Economic Considerations.—The construction of the breathing organs of woodlice, and the necessity which exists for these to be kept moist, restricts the habitats of the animals considerably. Woodlice are found under stones and logs, beneath the bark of dead and rotten trees, among decaying vegetable matter as well as living grass and moss in damp or wet situations. When looking for some of the common species under the bark of fallen trees it is surprising to notice that the crustaceans may be entirely absent from many trunks, while when another is examined which seems to differ very slightly, if at all, in condition or situation, they are found in swarms. There is no doubt but that the habits of woodlice would well repay the attention of naturalists, who are now recognizing that besides anatomy as such, and the classification which a knowledge of structure permits, there is the equally important consideration of the creatures as they live their own life and affect that of others. It is not our object to give a detailed account of the ecology of British woodlice, but rather to provide a basis from which it may be approached. Nevertheless a few general remarks may not come amiss. Many points in the life-history of woodlice may no doubt be learned by keeping them in captivity and there is just sufficient difficulty in doing this successfully to give an interest to the matter.

Apart from a supply of proper food, we take it that the chief object to be attained is the provision of the amount of moisture required by the particular species under examination, together with a sufficient supply of air.

A great many interesting observations can be thus carried out, such as those of Mr. Casserley, to which allusion has already been made. The process of moulting for instance is well worth watching, and although specimens with half their coat changed may be found in remote corners, yet the whole course of the moult can be seen much better in the case of captive woodlice. The following account is taken from Mr. Casserley's description (75) of what happens in the case of Armadillidium vulgare:—The approach of the moult is indicated by the appearance of a white border on each segment of the body, which becomes gradually more marked, while at the same time the animal is seen to be less active and often makes a small burrow in which to hide. Sometimes a sheltered corner against a stone is looked upon as affording sufficient protection, but in either case each woodlouse keeps to the place originally chosen. About ten days after the white lines have become visible the animal appears to be divided into two. Its skin is becoming loose and little movement can take place at the joints of its body with the exception of that between the fourth and fifth thoracic segments where the skin will ultimately break. The woodlouse spends a day or two in this condition and then, by suddenly walking forward, frees itself from the covering of the hinder portion of its body. The three last pairs of walking legs are carefully pulled out from the old skin, which now appears perfectly white, and at the same time the lining of the hind portion of the alimentary canal (hind gut) is also shed. After putting the tender half of his body well into his corner or burrow the woodlouse proceeds to eat the part of his skin that he has cast. The creature has now a very odd appearance. His front half with the exception of the white edges is as it was before, the rest of him instead of a light slaty blue, and is very soft as well as proportionately a little larger.

In three days or so the tail end becomes hard and attains the normal colour. Then the old skin from the front half is pushed off and the creature becomes practically defenceless, so much so in fact, that any of his species that happen to find him will attack him and eat all his front half, rejecting, however, his now hardened tail-end.

Provided that the moulting woodlouse has survived (and in captivity, to ensure this, he must be isolated), after three days his jaws will be sufficiently hardened to allow of his eating, and usually he first of all devours the second half of his cast skin. The operation of moulting does not occupy quite so long a time in the case of young examples. Specimens half-an-inch long do not moult more than once in six months and show but little increase in size after the process.

Woodlice do not appear to live on either animal or vegetable food alone, but adopt a mixed diet. It is, however, owing to their attacks upon cultivated plants that the creatures are looked upon as pests by the horticulturalist. The animals feed either in the night or in the very early morning, on seedlings, orchid tubers, mushrooms, or anything that comes to hand. Few of the accounts, however, of their ravages, mention that the crustaceans have been caught absolutely in the act of doing the damage ascribed to them. Some careful inquiries have nevertheless enabled us to discover several observers who have watched woodlice feeding. Mr. F. V. Theobald, of Wye College, and one of the students at Swanley Horticultural College are among the number. The former has also given us an account of the methods, out of many tried, which he has found most successful for getting rid of the crustaceans. Out of doors trapping with moss, sacking or horse-dung is best. In glass houses, fumigation with hydro-cyanic acid gas has cleared them out, and poison baits, especially potatoes cut and soaked in white arsenic, have done some good. Stable manure is especially favourable to these creatures, particularly when it is used "long": in this condition it should therefore be avoided.