The Backyard Arthropod Project

The back part of our property drains into Cole’s Creek, which empties into Portage Lake about a mile to the west of us. It’s a pretty substantial stream, and one of the better places for catching smelt[1]. S_ has been going down there from time to time to check if the smelt run has started, so last weekend she suggested that we all go there to poke around in a stream bigger than the one beside the house and see what we could find. We probably didn’t find anything that isn’t in our little micro-creek[2], but we did find some photograph-worthy specimens. Like these guys:

Continue reading ‘Water Louse - Asellus’ »

And, in the “Things found under rocks” category, we have this specimen from back in May[1]. It is a “pillbug” (also known as “potato bugs”, “sow bugs”, “woodlice”, “roly-polys”, and probably dozens of other names).

Continue reading ‘Pillbug - Armadillidium’ »

This week’s arthropod is probably Porcellio scaber, the common rough woodlouse. I found these under a toolbox in the basement. We don’t have many of them at the moment, because the basement is currently quite dry. Since they are crustaceans and actually breathe through gills, woodlice can’t tolerate dry conditions because their gills dry out. In the summer, when condensation makes the basement kind of damp, they become much more plentiful. They seem to be eating mildew and similar organic debris.

Continue reading ‘Woodlice’ »