Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
Blue woodlouse from Santa Barbara County, California.
The blue color is due to an iridovirus infection which at advanced stages has viral particles accumulate in such large quantities that crystalline structures are formed. These crystals produce intense blue or purple color in heavily infected individuals.
Iridoviruses replicate in the cytoplasm of infected cells. They were named for Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow, due to the "rainbow like" iridescence observed in heavily infected invertebrates. Iridovirus IV31 is known to infect woodlice.
Pathogenesis is temperature dependent, therefore, iridoviruses are limited to poikilothermic hosts. In lethal infections, insects become flaccid and iridescent 7-10 days post-infection but death may take 3 weeks or longer. More on Iridoviruses.
Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)
Blue woodlouse from Santa Barbara County, California.
The blue color is due to an iridovirus infection which at advanced stages has viral particles accumulate in such large quantities that crystalline structures are formed. These crystals produce intense blue or purple color in heavily infected individuals.
Iridoviruses replicate in the cytoplasm of infected cells. They were named for Iris, the Greek goddess of the rainbow, due to the "rainbow like" iridescence observed in heavily infected invertebrates. Iridovirus IV31 is known to infect woodlice.
Pathogenesis is temperature dependent, therefore, iridoviruses are limited to poikilothermic hosts. In lethal infections, insects become flaccid and iridescent 7-10 days post-infection but death may take 3 weeks or longer. More on Iridoviruses.