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Woodlouse in mid-molt

Armadillidium vulgare

Description:

This Woodlouse is in mid-molt. The white thing in the image is the shed exoskeleton. "The molt takes place in two stages; the back half is lost first, followed two or three days later by the front. This method of molting is different from that of most arthropods, which shed their cuticle in a single process."

Habitat:

Under wood pile in leaf litter in backyard.

Notes:

I've seen a blue one before caused by an iridovirus: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/771... and a common colored one: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/162... but never one like this!

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7 Comments

pampoy
pampoy 10 years ago

wow. :)

I agree, Hema! This is much more interesting since it's a rather unique process.

I love learning new things! Thank you Leanne!

Hema  Shah
Hema Shah 10 years ago

wow ,that makes it even more interesting!!

LeanneGardner
LeanneGardner 10 years ago

Amazing Cindy!

Agreed! I just updated the spotting with the answer to why it looks like this :)

Hema  Shah
Hema Shah 10 years ago

very interesting!!

Escondido, California, USA

Spotted on Apr 11, 2014
Submitted on Apr 13, 2014

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