Malacostracans by Picture
Malacostraca Taxonomy
Oniscus asellus - Wikipedia
Oniscus asellus - BugGuide
Oniscus asellus - ENFO webpage
I discovered this common woodlouse while digging in the S bed dirt for soil animals on March 10, 2017. I broke open a rotted log, and all kinds of critters swarmed out of it. Woodlice are less commonly seen in the yard, and in the Houston area generally, than their cousins the pill bugs, who crawl around in the open and are much more numerous.
Common woodlice reproduce both sexually and asexually. In sexual reproduction, the male courts the female by waving his antennae at her. During the breeding season, reproductive females develop a 'brood pouch' and pass fertilised eggs into it. When the babies are fully formed, they leave the brood pouch.
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See the wood louse in action!
