Investigation of season-related microhabitat selection patterns of three isopod (Crustacea; Isopoda; Oniscidea) species (Porcellio laevis, Porcellio dilatatus and Armadillo officinalis) in Tekirdağ province

The aim of the study is the investigation of the relationship between the terrestrial isopods Porcellio laevis Latreille, 1804, Porcellio dilatatus Brandt, 1833 and Armadillo officinalis Dumeril, 1816 and their microhabitats, and to reveal the ecological preferences of the species by determining the population frequency of the three species in different microhabitats. The study was carried out in an area in Tekirdağ which enclosed different microhabitats. Several control points were formed with different sizes and at different locations inside or around sheepfold, barn, poultry house and greenhouse. These control points were formed by Natural (stone, wood, fertilizer) and Artificial (plastic material, tile, metal, gas concrete, plastic foam) for the nocturnal isopods to hide under. These control points were checked and the number of the individuals of each species were recorded once in each of 12 months, April 2016–March 2017. It was observed that Porcellio dilatatus was the most populated and Armadillo officinalis was the least populated species in the control points. It was also observed that the temperature and the relative humidity affected the population densities to different extents. It was observed that the three isopod species were not distributed uniformly, as well as the population densities in the control points were varied. Armadillo officinalis preferred to populate the control points made with artificial materials with a much bigger ratio than the other two species. The results support the conclusion that three isopod species have different seasonal microhabitat preferences.