Comparison of body mass, feeding and food conversion of temperature acclimatized Porcellionides pruinosus (Brandt, 1833) (Isopoda, Oniscidea) fed on the dry leaf of Punica granatum

Abstract

A detailed study was conducted on the body mass; moisture; assimilation efficiency; gross and net production efficiencies; feeding, assimilation; conversion and metabolic rates of the woodlouse Porcellionides pruinosus acclimatized at 14°C or 21°C for 15 days and fed on the dry leaf of Punica granatum (pomegranate). Brief descriptions are given on the chemical composition of R, granatum leaf and on the analyses of soil of the habitat of P. pruinosus. A marginal insignificant increase of 0.6 mg body mass was observed in this woodlouse acclimatized at 21°C when compared with the value recorded at 14°C. However, significant differences existed on moisture (t = 2.3; p<0.01), assimilation efficiency (t = 10.2; p<0.01) and feeding rate (t = 10.2; p<0.01) between the temperature acclimatized woodlice. An inverse relationship was discernible in this woodlouse between rate of ingestion and efficiency of absorption. Only 10.7% assimilated food at 14°C and 14.4% at 21°C were converted into the production of new tissues. The food consumption of P. pruinosus at 14 and 21°C were 2.57% and 3.21% body mass/day respectively.