Blue coloured Woodlouse - Porcellio scaber

Blue coloured Woodlouse, found in the garden of my friend's house.

comments (6)

RMFelix

Lion

Oniscus asellus http://www.janvanduinen.nl/isopodaengels.php Posted 8 years ago

Pudding4brains

Lion

Howdy,
This is NOT Armadillidium vulgare and NOT Oniscus asellus, but Porcellio scaber.
Please remove/add tags accordingly so that the image may (not) be displayed in the (in)correct galleries.
Also, please add the tag "Iridovirus" !! ;o) Posted 8 years ago
1. Ferdy Christant
  
  Lion
  
  Arp, where possible, please also try to explain why the current identification is wrong. It will come across as more educational and helps prevent the same misidentification in the future. Posted 8 years ago
2. 1. Pudding4brains
    
    Lion
    
    Hi Ferdy, I appreciate the wish for explanation, but sometimes it is hard to know where to begin, short of writing up an identification guide, which is a tad time consuming ;o)
    Armadilidiidae are "rolly pollies" - woodlice that roll up in defence. They are usually higher, more convex and the epimera are shaped as such that it will allow for some space where they are pressed together when rolled up. They have no uropodites sticking out behind and the head is also less structured and formed to slickly roll into a ball.
    Thiis here specimen is a "clinger" - it will hold on to the surface in defense. Clingers are flattened and short-legged.
    
    RMFelix suggested Oniscus asellus, while referring to the excellent page by my good friend Jan van Duinen See link above somewhere. On that page you will find two images of blue woodlice infected with an Iridovirus, right above each other. One is Oniscus asellus (smooth!), the other Porcelli scaber (rough!). See the difference?
    
    Porcellio scaber might most likely be confused (in the Netherlands) with the likes of Trachelipus rathkii or Porcellio dilatatus or P. spinicornis. But that explanation will be for some other time. Posted 8 years ago
  2. 1. Ferdy Christant
      
      Lion
      
      That's a fantastic response, and exactly the kind of info I was looking for, thanks a lot. Posted 8 years ago
    2. Albert Kang
      
      Lion
      
      Thanks, Pudding4brains for the corrected ID :) Posted 8 years ago