As part of the renovation/tidy-up/do something to keep warm effort, I moved some planks from one place to another.
Caution is always a handy thing at such times. Apart from the possibility of what my grandfather used to call “Joe Blakes“, there’s always a chance of some other creature having set up home among the timber.
This chap was right behind my office chair when he was overtaken by a sudden headache.
There was nothing as scary as a snake or as cute as a gecko this time.
Just this little girl.
You should be able to see her ovipositors: they’re those little spiny bits at either side of the lowest segment in the photo.
She’s not one of those huge wood-eating cockroaches that live in Australia. I don’t think the big ones are found round here (and Herself says “Don’t bother looking!“).
Here’s a “warts ‘n’ all” shot. She’s rather a lumpy little lass.
I found a male one a few planks down, but he was gone before I got the camera. Such is life.
Until next time, O Both My Readers™.
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June 29th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Ooooo, that was fun. I used to spend hours searching for similar types in my yard
roly poly!
June 29th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
These little chaps are not roly-poly pillbugs, and have no mechanism for defence like that.
Indeed, the little flat wood-cockroaches don’t even seen to have the foul-smelling chemical defence of their cousins. It appears that staying out of sight ,and being able to scurry into places nothing else will fit, are their defensive measures.
June 29th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
well, that’s the problem with replying when I’m largely shutdown. wasn’t really calling it a rolly polly. it has always amused me that so many names can be applied indiscriminately to one critter: rolly polly, isopod, wood louse, pill bug, sow bug… suspect I’m forgetting a few
the ones I scrounged up as kids didn’t roll up either
I like all isopods. this is my favorite: http://www.racerocks.com/racerock/eco/taxalab/2005/idoteaw/idoteaw.htm
June 29th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Yes, I’m fond of isopods too, especially the BIG marine ones!
The wood cocky is a small cousin of these fellows http://www.bugsed.com/fact_sheets/giant_burrowing_cockroach.html - who DO live in my state.
No, Herself will not let me have one.
June 29th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
way cool
I held one of those once.
June 29th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Yeah, you can never tell just what is in the forest floor. A few hours south-east of here, you’d run the risk of being stopped in your path by fierce, hissing, crayfish!
http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/showimage/5427/
Some fine text and pics of other Queensland forest critters in the following links, too:
http://www.stewartmacdonald.com.au/blog/index.php/2005/12/crayfish-tracking/
http://www.stewartmacdonald.com.au/blog/index.php/2006/02/craying-and-frogging/
July 4th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Herself INDEED says no. But the one photographed here is very sweet.