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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Crustaceans (Crustacea) » Malacostracans (Malacostraca) » Marsupial Crustaceans (Peracarida) » Isopods (Isopoda) » Scutocoxifera » Woodlice (Oniscidea) » Holoverticata » Orthogonopoda » Crinocheta » Porcellionidae » Porcellio » Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
Photo#278829
Blue woodlouse - Porcellio scaber
Copyright © 2009 Steve Scott

Blue woodlouse - Porcellio scaber
Fairfield, IL, Wayne County, Illinois, USA
May 22, 2009
I was adding some irises to an old bed when a spot of brilliant blue caught my eye in the dirt. Reminded me of the turquoise I used to find in ant hills in New Mexico as a boy, but this was moving.

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Blue woodlouse - Porcellio scaber Blue woodlouse - Porcellio scaber
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Contributed by Steve Scott on 23 May, 2009 - 7:01pm
Last updated 30 June, 2009 - 7:52am

Moved
Moved from Woodlice.
… Charley Eiseman, 30 June, 2009 - 7:52am login or register to post comments

 
I wonder if the other woodlice can see this color...
...and be warned to stay away! It seems like it would be on the right end of the color spectrum if their vision is anything like that of most insects.
… Arthur Scott Macmillan, 17 March, 2010 - 10:02pm login or register to post comments

P scaber
The species is Porcello scaber.
… Ferenc Vilisics, 30 June, 2009 - 6:22am login or register to post comments

Blue woodlouse
Neat find. The woodlouse is that color because it is infected with an iridovirus. There is a more extreme example here.
… Charley Eiseman, 4 June, 2009 - 11:55pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks
Charlie. Another amazing factoid to astound my kids with. Hmmm . . . I wonder if I can somehow work this around to talking about Herpes and HPV and AIDS and . . . wouldn't it be cool if everyone infected with them turned blue?!
… Steve Scott, 5 June, 2009 - 7:24am login or register to post comments

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