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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Crustaceans (Crustacea) » Malacostracans (Malacostraca) » Marsupial Crustaceans (Peracarida) » Isopods (Isopoda) » Scutocoxifera » Woodlice (Oniscidea) » Holoverticata » Orthogonopoda » Crinocheta » Sowbugs (Oniscidae) » Oniscus » European Sowbug (Oniscus asellus)

Species Oniscus asellus - European Sowbug

Classification · Other Common Names · Size · Identification · Habitat · Food · Remarks · Internet References

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Crustacea (Crustaceans)

Class Malacostraca (Malacostracans)

Superorder Peracarida (Marsupial Crustaceans)

Order Isopoda (Isopods)

No Taxon (Scutocoxifera)

Suborder Oniscidea (Woodlice)

Infraorder Holoverticata

No Taxon (Orthogonopoda)

No Taxon (Crinocheta)

Family Oniscidae (Sowbugs)

Genus Oniscus

Species asellus (European Sowbug)

Other Common Names

Woodlouse (UK)

Skirted Woodlouse

Size

Up to 16 mm long and up to 6 mm wide.

Identification

Flat, brown-black with pale mottling and pale edges to the segmental plates. The body ends in a two-pointed segment - the telson.

- shiny, even surface, greyish colour with white margins, sometimes with little yellow dots.

- wide oval shape, and the body is quite flat

- 3 segments of the flagellum, long antennae

- no significant protrusion or middle lobe on the head (compared to: Porcellio scaber, where you find an apiculate protrusion in the middle)

- no "lungs" ("white bodies") >>> Porcellio scaber has 2 pairs on the abdomen, ventral side.

- at first it doesnt run away, but clings on the surface (that's why it belongs to the "clinger type" isopods)

Habitat

Dark damp places with rotting organic matter - their favorite place in a garden is usually the compost heap, where they are very effective decomposers. Can reliably be found under rocks and logs, too.

Food

Dead organic matter, animal waste or rotting wood and other plant material.

Remarks

Not harmful to humans, rather helpful in cleaning up plant waste etc. Occasionally reported to eat garden plants, but generally considered beneficial.

Internet References

European Sowbug at eduwebs.org

The Pied Piper.co.uk - a site maintained by a British pest control company, but good information.

Sowbugs and Pillbugs an informative Bug of the Month article fom a bug-lovers' club (Scarabs: The Bug Society) in Puget Sound.

Contributed by Hannah Nendick-Mason on 6 October, 2005 - 12:57pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Beatriz Moisset, Astrobirder
Last updated 19 August, 2021 - 7:16pm

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