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Saduria entomon is a benthic isopod crustacean of the family Chaetiliidae. It is distributed along the coasts of the Arctic Ocean and of the northern Pacific Ocean. It is also found in the brackish Baltic Sea, where it is considered a glacial relict. Moreover, it is present in a number of North European lakes, including Ladoga, Vänern and Vättern. It has been introduced into the Black Sea.

Saduria entomon is one of the largest crustaceans in the Baltic Sea. The largest ones are found in the depths of the Gulf of Bothnia, reaching a maximum length of nearly 9 cm (4 in). S. entomon are sexually dimorphic, with males growing larger and maturing at larger sizes than females. Most individuals die after reproduction, and the species might be functionally semelparous, but it is probably capable of iteroparity. Its lifespan is 3 years, possibly much longer.

Saduria entomon is a predator that feeds on other benthic animals, such as Monoporeia affinis. It is also a scavenger and a cannibal.


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Idotea balthica is a marine isopod which lives on seaweed and seagrass in the subtidal zone of rocky shores.

Distribution

Idotea balthica has a broad geographical distribution, having been recorded from the Belgian Exclusive Economic Zone, Great Britain, Cobscook Bay, Dutch Exclusive Economic Zone, European waters, Greek Exclusive Economic Zone, Gulf of Maine, Knokke, North West Atlantic, Red Sea, Voordelta, West Coast of Norway, Wimereux and the Black Sea.

Characteristics

The male is larger than female, and can reach 4 centimetres (1.6 in) long. The carapace is yellow, brown or green with small white spots; the female is usually darker. The species can be distinguished from other idoteids by the shape of the telson, which is dorsally keeled with straight sides in I. balthica, and has a distinct spine at the end.


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Cirolana mercuryi is a species of isopod found on coral reefs off Bawe Island, (Zanzibar, Tanzania) in East Africa and named for Freddie Mercury, "arguably Zanzibar's most famous popular musician and singer".

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Armadillidium vulgare, the (common) pill-bug, (common) pill woodlouse, roly-poly, doodle bug, potato bug, or carpenter, is a widespread European species of woodlouse. It is the most extensively investigated terrestrial isopod species.

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. 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.


Armadillidium vulgare beginning to unroll from its defensive posture

A related isopod with its clutch on its belly
Ecology

Armadillidium vulgare is able to withstand drier conditions than many other woodlouse species, and is restricted to calcareous soils or coastal areas. It feeds chiefly on decaying plant matter, but also grazes lichens and algae from tree bark and walls.

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. 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.

Distribution

The native distribution of A. vulgare ranges across Europe, especially in the Mediterranean region . In the United Kingdom, A. vulgare is very common in southern and eastern England, but is more confined to coastal areas in the north. Similarly, in Ireland, A. vulgare is common in the south and east, but rarer in the north and west.

A. vulgare has also been introduced to many locations in North America, where it may reach population densities of up to 10,000 individuals per square metre. It is now one of the most abundant invertebrate species in California coastal grassland habitats. It has also been introduced, to a lesser extent, to sites across the world.

Relationships with humans

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. Keeping a pet pill bug requires a very moist habitat with limited light and lots of decaying plant matter. They can often live up to three years.


source - Wikipedia

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