Suggestions for experiments
Most of these factors have been investigated by groups or individual students over the last few years. You will may want to refer to the background information and the equipment used pages before you can start to plan these experiments.
 | Investigate the mechanism causing the grouping instinct - is it odour, sound or some other factor? |
| What are the preferred light conditions for woodlice? - eg light intensity and colour of light. |
| What are the effects of temperature on behaviour - rate of turning, speed of movement etc. |
| Investigating alternation in woodlice. Is time or distance travelled the main factor in determining whether alternation is likely to occur? |
| Is humidity or temperature the most important factor in determining the clumping behaviour of Porcellio scaber? |
| How do changes in water saturation affect the behaviour of Porcellio scaber? (eg clumping, activity levels) |
| What is the effect of ‘clumping’ on the rate of water loss from Porcellio scaber? |
| Can woodlice absorb and/or loose water through their exoskeleton? |
| Do woodlice excrete gaseous ammonia? Is there any difference between night and day?. Is there any difference between active and inactive woodlice? |
Another source of experiments is given in Stephen Sutton's book, Woodlice, Pergamon Press.
