What insects live under stones? What terrestrial crustaceans hide from the sun and can be found under your garden decorations?
What Insects Live Under Stones?
Various terrestrial crustaceans seek shelter under rocks and in dry stone walls, which absorb the sun’s heat during the day and release it at night. This thermal inertia provides a more stable temperature, appreciated in winter and spring, allowing animals to warm up, while in summer, it offers coolness and shade. The strength of dry stone walls lies in their irregular structure, which leaves many gaps, creating an ideal habitat for nocturnal invertebrate species. Among them are beetles, ants, various spiders, and silverfish.
The Woodlouse
The woodlouse thrives under stones, possessing a hard shell that allows it to protect itself by shrinking when threatened. Preferring dark and humid environments, it primarily moves at night, taking refuge under stones or piles of wood. Woodlice play a crucial role in the decomposition chain by feeding on dead organic matter, including leaves, fungi, and wood, breaking these elements into smaller pieces. This crustacean requires moisture to prevent its skin from drying out, leading it to favor dark places like tree bark, leaves, and flower pots.
Red Ants
Red ants can be found in gardens, under stones, and in forests, favoring damp stumps and moss on dead trees. These social insects live in colonies, with Myrmica, or red ants, being particularly common in France, especially in the Alps and the Rhone Valley. They primarily feed on insects for their high protein content, essential for nourishing the colony’s offspring. The colony revolves around a queen, whose sole purpose is to lay eggs after founding the anthill.
The Centipedes
Millipedes are another group of arthropods found under stones, characterized by having two pairs of legs on each segment. They are made up of weakly marked segments that form a cylinder, with the number of legs increasing with age. Small house millipedes predominantly inhabit areas under stones, in piles of dead wood, and in the soil. They contribute to the decomposition of organic matter, although they are less effective than earthworms. Unlike predators, they feed on decaying plant matter and have a unique defense mechanism: they can curl into a spiral and secrete a repellent substance, which may stain skin and cause mild allergic reactions.
