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This study deals with the impact of zinc on the locomotor activity rhythm of two terrestrial isopods Armadillo officinalis and Chetophiloscia elongata. Specimens are collected from the banks of Gha...

To estimate trace element bioaccumulation in Armadillo officinalis, specimens were collected then exposed to contaminated sediments with copper and zinc for three weeks.

Effective communication is essential in animal life to allow fundamental behavioral processes and survival. Communicating by surface-borne vibrations is likely the most ancient mode of getting and exchanging information in both invertebrates and vertebrates. In this review, we concentrate on the use of vibrational communication in arthropods as a form of intraspecific and interspecific signaling, with a focus on the newest discoveries from our research group in terrestrial isopods (Crustacea: Isopoda: Oniscidea), a taxon never investigated before in this context. After getting little attention in the past, biotremology is now an emerging field of study in animal communication, and it is receiving increased interest from the scientific community dealing with these behavioral processes. In what follows, we illustrate the general principles and mechanisms on which biotremology is based, using definitions, examples, and insights from the literature in arthropods. Vibrational communication in arthropods has mainly been studied in insects and arachnids. For these taxa, much evidence of its use as a source of information from the surrounding environment exists, as well as its involvement in many behavioral roles, such as courtship and mating, conspecific recognition, competition, foraging, parental care, and danger perception. Recently, and for the first time, communication through surface-borne waves has been studied in terrestrial isopods, using a common Mediterranean species of the Armadillidae family as a pilot species, Armadillo officinalis Duméril, 1816. Mainly, for this species, we describe typical behavioral processes, such as turn alternation, aggregation, and stridulation, where vibrational communication appears to be involved. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.3758/s13420-020-00428-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The present work focuses on the moult cycle of Armadillo officinalis. For a 100-day period, 134 animals were observed and routinely examined with the aim of detecting distinctive morphological characters in the several stages and substages of the moult cycle and of disclosing their duration. Statistical tests and Poisson regression models with robust standard errors were used to investigate differences and relationships between moult and the size and gender of the animals. The appearance of the calcium carbonate deposits on the pereon sternites during the premoult stage was documented in detail, and three main substages were identified. The average duration of the premoult and of the biphasic ecdysis was about 12 and 1.5 days, respectively. This observation period, however, did not allow to establish a determined average duration of the intermoult stage, which was extremely variable. This stage lasted for 2 months or more in most of the cases observed, but about 1-month-long intermoult stages were also recorded. No statistically significant association was found between the number of moults and gender and size of the animals.

The capability of producing sounds and vibrations is well known in insects and is thought to be a form of intra- and interspecific communication. Sounds and vibrations are used and modulated for several aims such as interacting with conspecifics, getting information from the environment, and defending against predators. This phenomenon is less known but also present in other arthropods, including a few roller-type terrestrial isopods. In this study, we used a Y-shape test apparatus to investigate the behavior of adult individuals ofArmadillo officinalisDuméril, 1816 (Crustacea: Isopoda: Oniscidea) when exposed to two particular vibrational stimuli, namely species-specific stridulations and non-specific substrate-borne vibrations. Our results showed that adults ofA. officinalissignificantly react to the presence of both types of vibrational stimuli, by moving away from the vibrational source as if they experienced these vibrations as a sign of danger or disturbance.A. officinaliscan produce stridulations only when it rolls into a ball during the so-called conglobation, a possible defense mechanism against predators. Stridulation might thus be a secondary form of defense used during conglobation to deter a predator following contact with it and might be experienced as an alert by conspecifics nearby. The high sensitivity to non-specific substrate-borne vibrations might provideA. officinaliswith the possibility to anticipate dangers and adverse conditions, giving it a better chance of survival.

Bu çalışmada karasal isopod türlerinden olan Porcellio laevis Latreille, 1804, Porcellio dilatatus Brandt, 1833 ve Armadillo officinalis Dumeril, 1816 türlerinin mikrohabitatlarıyla ilişkilerinin irdelenmesi ve üç türün farklı mikrohabitatlarda görülme sıklıkları saptanarak türlerin ekolojik tercihlerinin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Çalışma; Tekirdağ’da birbirinden farklı mikrohabitatları bir arada barındıran bir alanda gerçekleştirilmiştir. Yaklaşık 10 dönümlük bir alanda bulunan koyun ağılı, inek ahırı, tavuk ve tavşan kümesi ve sera alanları civarında veya dâhilinde değişik büyüklüklerde ve konumlarda odaklar hazırlanmıştır. Bu odaklar, nokturnal olan isopodların gündüzleri altında saklanmaları için Doğal (taş, tahta ve gübre) ve Yapay (plastik, kiremit, metal, gaz beton ve strafor) malzemelerden oluşturulmuştur. Birey sayıları ayda bir kez olmak üzere 12 ay boyunca, Nisan 2016–Mart 2017 tarihleri arasında, kontrol edilerek kaydedilmiştir. Denemelerin yapıldığı alanda odak noktalarında en fazla karşılaşılan tür Porcellio dilatatus iken Armadillo officinalis’in ise üç tür arasında en az populasyon yoğunluğuna sahip tür olduğu görülmüştür. Sıcaklığın ve bağıl nem miktarının Porcellio laevis, Porcellio dilatatus ve Armadillo officinalis populasyon yoğunluklarını farklı etkilediği görülmüştür. Üç isopod türünün her bir odaktaki dağılımı homojen olmamakla birlikte, odaklardaki populasyon yoğunluklarının da farklılık gösterdiği gözlenmiştir. Üç türden Armadillo officinalis türü yapay malzemelerden oluşan odak noktalarını diğer türlere göre çok daha yüksek oranda tercih etmiştir. Bu çalışma isopod türlerinin her birinin mevsim ilişkili olarak farklı mikrohabitat tercihlerinin olduğu sonucunu desteklemektedir The aim of the study is the investigation of the relationship between the terrestrial isopods Porcellio laevis Latreille, 1804, Porcellio dilatatus Brandt, 1833 and Armadillo officinalis Dumeril, 1816 and their microhabitats, and to reveal the ecological preferences of the species by determining the population frequency of the three species in different microhabitats. The study was carried out in an area in Tekirdağ which enclosed different microhabitats. Several control points were formed with different sizes and at different locations inside or around sheepfold, barn, poultry house and greenhouse. These control points were formed by Natural (stone, wood, fertilizer) and Artificial (plastic material, tile, metal, gas concrete, plastic foam) for the nocturnal isopods to hide under. These control points were checked and the number of the individuals of each species were recorded once in each of 12 months, April 2016–March 2017. It was observed that Porcellio dilatatus was the most populated and Armadillo officinalis was the least populated species in the control points. It was also observed that the temperature and the relative humidity affected the population densities to different extents. It was observed that the three isopod species were not distributed uniformly, as well as the population densities in the control points were varied. Armadillo officinalis preferred to populate the control points made with artificial materials with a much bigger ratio than the other two species. The results support the conclusion that three isopod species have different seasonal microhabitat preferences.

Gregarious behavior and aggregative phenomena among conspecifics in woodlice are thought to be a form of evolutionary adaptation to the terrestrial environment which has given these animals multiple advantages, e.g., against desiccation and predation. The reasons behind these phenomena, however, have not fully been clarified yet. This exploratory study has the aim to assess displacement and aggregation state relatively to the presence of substrate-borne vibrations in two different species of terrestrial isopods. To this goal, a circular arena was used to collect data from adult individuals of Armadillo officinalis, a stridulating species, and Armadillidium vulgare, a non-stridulating species, both exposed and non-exposed to micro-vibrations. Our results showed that exposed individuals of A. officinalis significantly react to micro-vibrations positioning themselves preferentially far from the vibrational source compared to non-exposed individuals of the same species. Furthermore, both the number of aggregates and of isolated subjects significantly increase in the presence of substrate-borne vibrations than in the absence of micro-vibrations. No statistically significant association with substrate-borne vibrations was found for A. vulgare for both placement and number of aggregates and of isolated subjects. Unlike A. vulgare, A. officinalis appears very sensitive to micro-vibrations which seem to represent a source of disturbance or potential danger. Substrate-borne vibrations seem to affect the capability of this species to aggregate leading to a greater number of aggregates and isolated subjects as if animals were a bit disoriented. This behavior might be related to a possible capability of this species to use micro-vibrations for inter- and intraspecific communication.

The present study focuses on the relationship existing between the phenomenon of turn alternation and substrate-borne vibrations in woodlice. Armadillo officinalis was utilized as a behavioral model in comparison to Armadillidium vulgare so as to assess its capability of perceiving external vibrations too. A T-maze with multiple exits was used to collect information on the pattern of turn alternation in i) adult individuals of A. officinalis exposed, and ii) not exposed to micro-vibrations, and iii) adult individuals of A. vulgare exposed to micro-vibrations. Turn alternation was assessed as the number of times that an animal turned on the opposite side in the T-maze. Our results showed a statistically significant association between turn alternation pattern and both exposure to micro-vibrations and species of the animals. According to our best-fitting model, A. officinalis not exposed and A. vulgare exposed to substrate-borne vibrations have 97% and 98% lower odds, respectively of being in a higher category of turn alternations compared to a lower category than exposed individuals of A. officinalis. A. officinalis seems to be very reactive to substrate-borne vibrations, unlike A. vulgare. This different reactivity might be related to a more complex defense mechanism developed as an evolutionary adaptation to the xeric environment, and/or to a means of communication mediated by substrate-borne vibrations, like in insects.

ArmadilloofficinalisDuméril, 1816 (Armadillidae) is a widespread terrestrial isopod species in the Mediterranean basin and on the western coasts of the Black Sea. The species is adapted to live in xeric environments and has mainly nocturnal habits. This species is capable of producing stridulations, which is nowadays recognized as a synapomorphy of the genus. In both sexes, these vibrations are produced by a line of scales on the propodus of pereopod 4 and 5. The main goals of this study are: to describe the manca stages ofArmadilloofficinalis; to detect the presence of the stridulatory apparatus in the manca stages; to evaluate the differences of such apparatus in the various manca stages. The manca stages (I, II, III) ofArmadilloofficinalisare described for the first time showing: i, the shortest duration (known in literature) of the manca stage I (approximately 30 minutes); ii, the presence of a rudimental stridulatory organ that may be of great importance in terms of evolutionary aspects and adaptation to terrestrial life. Notes on the reproductive biology are also reported. Furthermore, some considerations on future perspectives forA.officinalisas a model species in biotremology are also discussed.

In this study, we focused on the relationship existing between the phenomenon of alternating turns and substrate-borne vibrations in woodlice, utilizing Armadillo officinalis as an experimental behavioral model. A T-maze with multiple exits was used to collect information on the pattern of turn alternation in (i) adult individuals of A. officinalis exposed and (ii) non-exposed to micro-vibrations, and (iii) juveniles of A. officinalis exposed to micro-vibrations. Turn alternation was assessed as the number of times that an animal turned on the opposite side in the T-maze. Our best model pointed out a statistically significant increased expected number of alternating turns for both groups of adult individuals, non-exposed and exposed to micro-vibrations, compared to exposed juveniles. Adults of A. officinalis seem to be very reactive to substrate-borne vibrations, unlike juveniles. This reactivity might be related to a defense mechanism developed as an evolutionary adaptation to the xeric environment, increasing progressively from the juvenile condition until the adult state. This feature might also fit into a complex network of inter- and intraspecific communication mediated by substrate-borne vibrations, like in insects.

A crossover design was used to study food preferences and capability of nutritional acclimation to different food sources in terrestrial isopods, which live in xeric environments, by using Armadillo officinalis as an experimental model. The foods chosen for this experiment were three fresh foods with different content of water (potato, carrot, lettuce), and a dry food (leaf of plane tree). In order to quantify these preferences, two kinds of data able to provide complementary information were collected: number of droppings produced and food ingested per week. These data were used to fit some mixed effects models, in order to highlight statistically significant differences among the foods provided to the animals at a level of preferences. In addition, the buccal appendages of A. officinalis were observed and drawn in details, to provide further information at this level. Our results showed that A. officinalis seems not to have particular preferences between fresh foods with a moderate quantity of water and dry food, commonly eaten in its natural habitat. In contrast, foods with high quantity of water, like the lettuce, seem not to be instead particularly palatable for its taste, or its nutritional needs. Also, this study seems to have highlighted a better capability of digestion and absorption of the potato tuber compared to the leaf of plane tree for an equal quantity of ingested food. Anyway, this hypothesis needs further insights in order to be able to be verified.

A comparative study of the sexual sequence is carried out in four Oniscoidea of the ligiid series Porcellio laevis, Metoponorthus sexfasciatus (Porcellionidae), Armadillidium vulgare (Armadillidiidae) and Armadillo officinalis (Armadillidae). The differences between the four species chiefly appear in the precopulatory manoeuvres. The integration of coiling or uncoiling reactions in the sexual sequence of coiling forms is studied in two genera: Armadillidium and Armadillo. Results of the behavioral study provide information about the evolution of the group.

Observations were made on the body mass; transpiration rate; assimilation efficiency; gross and net production efficiencies; feeding, assimilation, conversion and metabolic rates of the pillbug Armadillo officinalis Dumeril acclimatized at 14º and 21 °C for 15 days and fed on the dry leaf of Punica granatum (Pomegranate). A brief description is given on the chemical composition of P. granatum leaf. The difference in body mass increments of A. officinalis between the acclimatized temperatures was not significant (t = 1.09; p>0.05). However, significant differences were discernible on the transpiration rate (t = 9.53; p

Armadillo officinalis Dum��ril, 1816 Armadillo officinalis; Dollfus, 1896, p. 527; Paulian de F��lice, 1939, p. 212; Vandel, 1958a, p. 130; Achouri et al., 2008c, pp. 76���78 Material examined 6 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, St. 2, under stones at base of cliff, leg. S. Taiti and C. Rossano, 1 May 2004 (MZUF 9580); 1 ♀, St. 7, leg. S. Taiti, 29 April 2004 (MZUF 9581); 6 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, same locality, leg. S. Taiti and C. Rossano, 29 September 2005 (MZUF 9582); 5 ♂♂, 11 ♀♀, 2 juvs, St. 10, leg. S. Taiti and C. Rossano, 26 April 2004 (MZUF 9583); 1 ♂, 5 ♀♀, St. 11, leg. S. Taiti, 27 April 2004 (MZUF 9584); 1 ♂, 4 ♀♀, St. 12, leg. C. Rossano, 26 April 2004; (MZUF 9585) 1 ♂, 3 ♀♀, St. 14, Phillyrea wood, leg. S. Taiti, 27 April 2004 (MZUF 9586); 3 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, 1 juv., same locality, leg. S. Taiti and C. Rossano, 27 September 2005 (MZUF 9587); 9 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀, 6 juvs, St. 15, sieved ground near stream, leg. S. Taiti, 27 April 2004 (MZUF 9588); 6 ♂♂, 9 ♀♀, St. 16, along road margin under stones, leg. S. Taiti, 28 April 2004 (MZUF 9589); 2 ♂♂, 9 ♀♀, St. 19, leg. S. Taiti, 29 April 2004 (MZUF 9590); 4 ♀♀, St. 20, under stones along path to waterfall, leg. S. Taiti and C. Rossano, 2 May 2004 (MZUF 9591); 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, St. 21, leg. S. Taiti and C. Rossano, 30 September 2005 (MZUF 9592); 1 ♀, St. 23, under stones, leg. S. Taiti, 30 April 2004 (MZUF 9593). Previous Rif records Ixmoart and Mt Gurugu, near Melilla; Isla de Alhucemas; T��touan; Benitez, near Ceuta (Vandel 1958a); Oued Laou region (Achouri et al. 2008c). Distribution Mediterranean basin, Morocco and Portugal. Remarks For diagnostic characters of A. officinalis see Vandel (1962, p. 855, Figures 408, 409)., Published as part of Taiti, Stefano & Rossano, Claudia, 2015, Terrestrial isopods from the Oued Laou basin, north-eastern Morocco (Crustacea: Oniscidea), with descriptions of two new genera and seven new species, pp. 2067-2138 in Journal of Natural History 49 (33) on page 2131, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2015.1009512, http://zenodo.org/record/3999869, {"references":["Dumeril AG. 1816. Armadille (Entom). In: Dictionnaire des Sciences naturelles. Strasbourg: Levrault. 3: 115 - 117.","Dollfus A. 1896. Les isopodes terrestres du nord de l' Afrique, du Cap Blanc a Tripoli (Maroc, Algerie, Tunisie, Tripolitaine). Mem Soc Zool France. 9: 523 - 553.","Paulian de Felice L. 1939. Recoltes de R. Paulian et A. Villiers dans le Haut Atlas marocain, 1938 (septieme note). Isopodes terrestres. Bull Soc Sci nat Maroc. 19: 191 - 213.","Vandel A. 1958 a. Les isopodes terrestres du Rif. Tamuda. 6: 127 - 134.","Achouri MS, Medini-Bouaziz L, Hamaied S, Charfi-Cheikhrouha F. 2008 c. Diversity of terrestrial isopods at the Oued Laou region (Northeast of Morocco): preliminary results. In: Bayed A, Ater M, editors. Du Bassin versant vers la mer: analyse multidisciplinaire pour une gestion durable. Trav Inst Sci Rabat (Ser Gen). 5: 75 - 79.","Vandel A. 1962. Isopodes terrestres (Deuxieme partie). Faune Fr. 66: 417 - 931."]}

The breeding of Armadillo officinalis in Libya, coincides with the spring rains, a rise in relative humidity, atmospheric temperature, and day length; and lasts from April to September with a cessation during the hot summer months of June and July. Sexes were distinguished in individuals from 4 mm in length, on the basis of secondary sexual characters. The total number of eggs produced and the total number of young that left the brood pouches are correlated with the body lengths of the gravid females. The average incubation period was 32 days and brood mortality 4·2%. Females carried two to three broods in a year. The newly hatched young had a body length of 1·7 mm and growth was rapid during the early developmental stages. Descriptive accounts were furnished for the period October 1988 to October 1989, on the percentage distribution of size classes based on body length measurements of immature, male, female and ovigerous females, together with details of the standing crop and production of embryos. Sex ratio in the first year age group showed a preponderance of males over females, while in the 1-2-year-old group, females outnumbered males. These findings are discussed in the light of information available on various other species of woodlice.

The growth and food conversion of the pillbug Armadillo officinalis Dumeril 1816, fed on the leaves of Myoporum serratum or Carthamus lanatus for 30 days, were determined. A steady increase in the body mass of A. officinalis fed on either diet was observed during the initial 15 days of the experimental period, with a decrease thereafter. A sigmoid growth pattern was observed in those fed on M. serratum. A significant difference in the moisture contents of the animals fed on the two diets with that of the zero‐time control was discernible. Animals fed on M. serratum consumed a larger quantity of food energy (4855 J/animal/30 days) in comparison with those fed on C. lanatus (978 J/animal/30 days). Significantly different assimilation efficiencies were obtained for this pillbug fed on the two diets (F — 11.06; p < .01). An inverse relationship was found between the rate of ingestion and the efficiency of absorption. Higher values of growth and net production efficiencies were found in those fed on C...

1. 1.|The effect of temperature on photoreaction of the pillbug Armadillo officinalis has been studied in individuals and groups under different humidity conditions. 2. 2.|Photoreaction was negative at all temperatures and humidities studied. 3. 3.|Both the intensity of this response, and the average time spent in darkness dropped with increasing 4. 4.|The average time spent in light changed only at lower temperatures. 5. 5.|The number of shifts increased with rising temperatures, thereby indicating increased activity. 6. 6.|The response of individuals was more intense (negative or positive) when tested in groups than when studied individually.

The hygroreaction of the Mediterranean oak-woodland pillbug Armadillo officinalis (Isopoda, Oniscoidea), was studied at different temperatures and light conditions. Between 10°–30° hygroreaction was of secondary importance to photoreaction At high temperatures the intensity of hygroreaction dropped and the average time spent at the higher humidity alternative increased Desiccation altered normal photoreaction, almost irrespective of humidity conditions. RESUME REACTION A L'HUMIDITE D'INDIVIDUS NORMAUX OU DESSECHES DE L'ISOPODE ARMADILLO OFFICINALIS Les reactions a l'humidite d'Armadillo officinalis ont ete etudiees dans differentes conditions de temperature et de luminosite pour des individus isoles et pour des groupes de dix individus. La reponse des individus groupes est toujours plus prononcee que celle des individus isoles. Entre 10° et 30° l'hygro-reaction est d'importance secondaire par rapport a la photo-reaction. A des temperatures elevees l'intensite de l'hygro-reaction tombe et le temps moyen passe dans les conditions d'humidite la plus forte s'accroit. La dessiccation altere la photo-reaction normale, et cela de facon presque independante des conditions d'humidite.

Hindgut epithelial cells of the oak-woodland pillbug Armadillo officinalis (Isopoda: Oniscidea: Armadillidae), were studied for their ATPase activity. The products of the enzymatic activity were localized in the membranous infoldings of the hindgut cells. It was concluded that Na+, K+-ATPase was probably present in these cells. The significance of these findings for the water balance of these animals is discussed.

The transpiration rates of the pillbug Armadillo officinalis Dumeril exposed for either 15 min or 1 h to seven different temperatures ranging from 20°C to 50°C showed that the water loss from the body surface was higher after 15 min exposure than after 1 h at all temperatures tested. Higher rates of transpiration were discernible in animals previously acclimatized to 24°C and in moist conditions than at 35°C and in dry conditions. Acclimatization of the pillbugs to 10°C or 30°C had a marked effect on their behaviour and activity when later exposed to rising temperatures. Exposure to 22°C or 30°C for a month affected growth, feeding, assimilation, conversion and metabolic rates with higher temperature increasing these rates significantly. The significance of temperature is discussed in relation to activity under field conditions.