Life cycle stages
- fertilised egg - about 0.7mm in diameter. After fertililisation the egg is moved to the brood pouch (marsupium)
- embryo - developing egg in the brood pouch - these are a yellowish colour in Porcellio scaber and are visible through the brood pouch wall on the under side of the thorax in gravid females.
- marsupial manca - newly hatched young, living in the brood pouch
- manca - young, newly released from the brood pouch, up to the 2nd moult stage
- juvenile - after the 2nd moult
- adult - capable of breeding after about 15 months in Porcellio scaber (25 months in Armadillidium vulgare)
The average life span of different woodlouse species shows considerable variation. Porcellio scaber has been reported to have a maximum life span of 30 months and Armadillidium vulgare is reported to live up to 41 months (Sutton et al, Life Histories of Terrestrial Isopods)
