Thursday Invertebrate Blogging: iPod

This week's invertebrate is the sleek, portable, USB¹ compatible isopod.

The isoPod (iPod for short) comes in many styles, colors and sizes, ranging from microscopic to the size of the face-hugger featured in the ALIEN™ film series.

(For examples of the big 'uns, click here, here and here.)

iPods are crustaceans, just like crabs, lobsters and shrimp, so they are durable, practical, and great with drawn butter or cocktail sauce.

Your ipod is packed with features, including:

• 2 sessile eyes
• 1 small set of antennae
• 1 large set of antennae
• 1 Pereon (thorax) comprised of 7 somites (segments)
• 1 Pleon (abdomen) comprised of 6 somites
• 5 pairs of abdominal gills
• 1 pair of legs per thoracic segment (14 total)
• 1 pair of uropods
• 1 telson
• firewire port (optional)

In addition to not playing music, your iPod can serve as a scavenger, herbivore, parasite, predator or decomposer.

While your iPod can live in the deep sea or on land, it must be kept moist at all times in order to function properly. Failure to keep your iPod moist can result in the unit's suffocation and may invalidate your warranty. We strongly recommend keeping your iPod in the provided USB¹ storage unit.

The unit pictured above is from the very popular Woodlouse™ line (Porcellio scaber), and was procured at a dead log in Prospect Park, Brooklyn.  The Pillbug™, Roly-Poly™ and SowBug™ are also very popular, and should be available at your local wood pile, leaf pile, or rock pile.

Product Reviews:

Biology of Isopods
BugGuide.Net
Giant Carnivorous Isopod (Summary)
Giant Carnivorous Isopod (Detail)

¹Underneath Soggy Bark

Click here to scroll through my entire invertebrate portfolio. What a long, strange, spineless trip it's been.

Comments

[Tina]

Hello!

This morning I was searching the Web for what I just learned is a WoodLouse (found on a tree in my N.M. backyard)...thank You!

I have to say that this entire page of insect blogs had me LMAO...you're hilarious!

I'm saving you to my Favorites!

Tina

[Ed Darrell]

I think you should mention that the standard "Roly-poly" version in the U.S. is a bane to cockroaches. Tom DeLay, look out!

[Jessamy]

Hah! I love it. This is easily your best "concept insect" to date. Maybe you should put in a larval picture, and call it the IPod Mini?