Spatial distribution of the burrows of Porcellio albinus in the coastal area of Zarat (Gabès, Tunisia)

Behavioral and Reproductive Strategies of Porcellio Species (Oniscidea) in Tunisian Pre-Desert Ecosystems

“…• Porcellio buddelundi and Porcellio albicornis show a narrow distribution area that is restricted to Sicily and circum-Sicilian islands in Italy [62] and in Tunisia [23,64]. In Tunisia, the distribution of P. buddelundi covers Jeffara, the plains of Kairouan, and the high Tunisian steppes, while the presence of P. albicornis has been reported in the regions of Gabes and Kebili (Figure 2).…”

“…To study the breeding pattern of both species, a sampling of almost 100 specimens of P. buddelundi and about 60 specimens of P. albinus took place during 12 consecutive months for the former and 17 months for the latter. See Medini-Bouaziz et al [22,23] for further details on material and methods. For both species, breeding starts in March and two breeding activities are defined (Figure 10).…”

“…To answer these questions, several sampling campaigns were carried out in the Zarat station during 2013. The density of burrows, their spatial distribution, and their orientation were studied (see [23] for further details on material and methods). The species was also observed in the field.…”

“…Porcellio albinus prefers to dig burrows at sandy nebkhas (the mean density of burrows per nebkha was 1.27 ± 1.64 burrows m −2 ). This preference is justified by the nature of the soil that is easy to dig and the isopod's low ability to do work on harder soils [23,44]. It is also explained by the sand which has a low water retention capacity associated with a lack of capillarity between the dry surface and the moisture layers which further reduces the evaporation.…”

“…These Oniscidae originally arising from the aquatic environment became terrestrial during the second half of the Paleozoic era [19]. They have evolved into a wide diversity of terrestrial species that have successfully colonized a wide range of habitats ranging from supralittoral levels (Ligia [20]) to mountains (Porcellio djahizi [21]) and desert ecosystems [22][23][24].…”