Another Extravagant Isopod by Chipka
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Description
When the air is warm and tinged with moisture, you will see them: woodlice. Land-dwelling isopods related to shrimp and crabs. They are not insects. They are not bugs, despite what their numerous, common names may imply. They are beneficial in gardens, as they feed on plant debris and only occasionally on strawberries and a range of succulent plants.
Woodlice are harmless crustaceans, direct cousins to larger aquatic isopods--some of which are among the world’s most bizarre half-parasitic, quasi symbiotic creatures. Cymothoa exigua, an aquatic isopod species found in the Gulf of California is also known as the tongue-eating louse. It has developed an intriguing relationship with the rose snapper fish. It enters the fish mouth, eats the tongue, and then attaches itself (via strong claws) to the remaining stump. Cymothoa exigua is the only known parasite that effectively replaces a lost host organ. Fish infested with such lice suffer no ill effects as the louse itself becomes a prosthetic tongue content to feed on small bits of whatever the fish itself eats. If the fish dies for some non-louse related reason, the prosthetic tongue simply disengages and goes in search of another mouth.
Interestingly enough, there are over 4500 species of isopods found in marine environments (mostly on the sea floor.) 500 species are found in fresh water. 5000 species live on land, and are—by a substantial degree—the most successful forms of terrestrial crustaceans. Unlike their tongue-eating marine cousins, terrestrial woodlice are cuddly in a non-predatory-alien sort of way…while the albino-white marine tongue eaters are cute in ways that are a bit more spooky. It is also likely that tongue eater range is expanding. Tongue-eaters have been found by fishermen in New Jersey, and recently in the UK, though the UK example might simply be an isolated fluke.
I’ve always loved the land-living isopods, commonly given whimsical and descriptive names, and it’s because of these little gems of biological wonder that I’ve learned a bit about their aquatic cousins. (I have yet to learn why the land-dwellers are called “bench biters” in Denmark, and maybe this is an indication that there is a predatory species of terrestrial isopod after all…one known for its cryptic habit of biting any bench it comes across. Maybe it’s a territorial thing and the big bull males are threatened by benches that have wandered into their territory and maybe Danish benches do, indeed, have a habit of wandering and need woodlice to keep them in check.)
At any rate (wandering benches notwithstanding) I’ve always held an affectionate attitude toward woodlice, and their aquatic cousins…even those aggressive, colorless prosthetics known as tongue eaters. The harmless vegetarians known to live under rocks and rotting logs will always fascinate me, and I can see myself raising colonies of them in the future—I’ll be buying another terrarium soon, and filling it with the makings of a self-sustaining enclosed environment. I’m looking forward to that, because it’s a lot easier photographic these fast and shy creatures when you don’t have to hunt very much to find them, or crunch all of your photographic time into a few warm months of summer. And they do make endlessly fascinating pets, after all.
As always, thank you for viewing and reading and commenting, and a particular thank you for those who have checked my previous works as favorites.
Comments (26)
claude19
A very interesting course on the biology of woodlice. It is true that if we do not particularly want it, then we are all foreigners living in animacules peirre in the natural opening at the seaside, in human dwellings. I did not know this particular pest eaters languages fish ... a very clever symbiosis, such as aphids and ants. Thank you for this amazing shot!
Roxam
These little guys are quite the charmers.
Meisiekind
Fascinating info on these critters Chip and a marvel of an image! Woodlice as pets?... I might draw a line there!! LOL...
bmac62
How about bench biters in Denmark residing on the underside of wooden benches and biting anybody who dares sit on their bench without first asking permission? Never heard of the tongue-eaters before...maybe you can employ them in some Sci-Fi plot in the future:-) This is quite a world when you begin to look into it!
auntietk
Tongue eaters? There's a sci-fi thing wiggling in the back of my ... got it! Now I remember. It was the creatures (with pincers like earwigs) that entered through the mouth and their tail stuck out the side of your neck. Remember that TNG episode? Freakin' creepy! That's what the tongue eaters remind me of. I much prefer your woodlice. This one has gorgeous markings!
ToniDunlap
Is what I like about you so much. Always telling me something I do not know or would have thought about knowing. It's a wonderful thing. I love it thank you! Woodlice.........pets. Smiling!!!
mbz2662
Okay, I can't get past tongue-eaters.. shiver .. (and I have that extra salivation going on.. ugh) ...lol.
gypsyflame
It looks like a creepy crawler to me, a worm...something I wouldn't want to see close up and personal, especially if they eat tongues...ewwwwwwwww, I'd like to keep mine thank you...LOL
helanker
What a cute little bench-biter :-) It is fun to read what you have to say about them and Now I also had fun reading about them here: http://images.google.dk/images?q=b%C3%A6nkebider&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=BMUYS5HdCJO8jAeb7eWBBA&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=11&ved=0CDgQsAQwCg
durleybeachbum
Well that is SO interesting about the tongue-eaters! and what I love about you is that you can be depended upon for a rivetting read with my coffee first thing. I love both your theory about bench biters, and Bills, if I was still making pottery people there is rich source material there!
bimm3d
wonderful!!!
Hubba1
Awesome job Chip! Very cool :)
jac204
Hmm...this gives new meaning to the expression "Bite your Tongue". This has indeed been an interesting series on creatures you"ve done. As a child living in the country I saw them and never really knew much about them.
MrsRatbag
Now I have a new Questing Beast -- the Danish Wandering Bench! Oh my... Chip, I've learned a ton of stuff from you this morning! Great stuff!
MagikUnicorn
SWEET CAPTURE :)
MrsLubner
Pill Bug or Doodle Bug... That's what we call them but they are a little different from each other. One is rounder and smoother while the other is a bit flatter with legs that can be seen on the sides. My kids used to have a ryhme they said as they stirred the dirt around one on the ground. The action made the Rollie-Pollie roll up in a ball. Then you'd guess how long before it opened up and started walking again. Now, I just through them in the next yard along with the snails I find. Pill bugs eatthe tender leaves of some of my pretties plants. If I lived closer to the water, I'd do them a favor and return them all to the sea... :-) I do love your shot of this one. As distructive as they can be, they are interesting to look at.
tamburro
Amazing capture my friend!!!! Hugs:)
beachzz
Tara's memory reminds of an episode of either Twilight Zone or that other sci fi show whose name I can't remember. An earwig got into the ear (imagine that) of a man, and the pain was horrific. He screamed and moaned and wanted to tear his head off. Finally, it made its way out, and he was able to breathe and live again. Turned out, it laid eggs in there. Anyway, I digress, as usual. Woodlice, who would ever think there was SO much to them, that it was possible to see beauty is such an ordinary insect. Ok,well, maybe not insect, but you know what I mean. What I'm trying to say is --wow!! you did it again!!
flora-crassella
your friend is very nice!!!
ladyraven23452
wow i thought it was a bug.Great work and the way you told us about it was cool to.
myrrhluz
I promise never to call them rollie pollie BUGS again. Thoroughly enjoyed the narrative. Very interesting information and funny speculation. Great capture!
faroutsider
Do the benches wander because of infection, or are they natural wanderers that pick up isopods on their travels, like fleas...? Great shot!
kgb224
Outstanding capture my friend.
sharky_
Interesting information and capture. Aloha
jif3d
Sorta like a land version of an ancient Trilobite, on his way to some tastier morsels and happier hunting grounds ! Kool macro & ~Cheers~
CoreyBlack
You and your bugs. I suspect that if they have a language, you'll learn to speak it, then get all of the lowdown gossip about everyone! This is a great shot. I'm amazed at how close you can get to these things. I've seen them moving and they're not easy to catch with a camera. Impressive!