I live in New England, USA, and during a few of my recent log-flipping adventures, I have found Oniscus isopods (suggested to both be O. asellus by a friend) always relatively close to Eastern Red-Backed Salamanders under logs - this is the only time I really see this species and so far they’ve both…

Yesterday, I was emptying some big ceramic pots in my garden, ones I fill with annuals each year. The pots sit on top of big spruce stumps. When I moved one pot off its stump, there were three red-backed salamanders and dozens of isopods underneath. I think they just like the same habitats: damp, s…

While I’m not familiar with Oniscus isopods specifically, I would assume this is due to similar microhabitat requirements rather than some form of mutualistic interaction.

Oniscus and redbacks like the same wet logs, bricks, and cooler temps

I’m sure isopods are one of their main sources of food. We have the nearly identical Ozark Zig-zagged Salamander here. I have found no correlation with their presence and roly polys.

Eastern Red-Backed Salamanders and Common Woodlice

Nature Talk

blastcat October 31, 2022, 3:10pm 5

I would agree, they have similar microhabitat requirements. Plethodon cinereus is a predator of Oniscus asellus so their relationship is not mutualistic.

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Eastern Red-Backed Salamanders and Common Woodlice

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