Expert: Walter Hintz - 7/2/2006

Question
i am doing an experiment in woodlice and would like to ask a few questions .
my questions are ...
does the environmental temperature that the woodlice live in affects the rate of clumping ? if so ? why ? and which is the temperature that has the highest clumping rate ? the range of temperature that i interested in is between 0 to 30. thank you.

Answer
Hi Xaviera
I assume you are studying sowbugs or pillbugs (Isopods)
I have never done this study. Are you working with live isopods?  If so what do your observations tell you? Have you set up an experimental design?  It seems to me that you will have to subject the animals to varying temperature conditions and look for clumping. You temperature range seems extreme. At 0 degrees C I would expect no activity.