Abstract
This experiment demonstrates whether sowbugs prefer wet or dry environments. As a group we created a controlled environment with a wet and dry section and used 10 sowbugs and recorded the number of them on either side. Data was collected after every minute and we found that the sow bugs chose to roam on the dry side 83.3% of the time. These results disproved our hypothesis that sowbugs prefer wet over dry environments.
Introduction
Our group was the only one to choose sow bugs (10) Sow bugs are a small land dwelling crustacean that belongs to the family Porcellionidae and Isopoda order. Sow bugs have two distinct tail-like appendages. They also cannot roll into a ball like their similarly looking companion the pillbug. Sow bugs do not bite, sow bugs do not have teeth and they cannot sting. Generally sow bugs live on land but they are related to aquatic crustaceans. Sow bugs are normally found under rocks or logs( damp areas). Sow bugs need some moisture to make sure that their bodies don’t dry out. They are also decomposers so they feed on decaying plants and plant materials to help bring nutrients into the soil. Since they do not have teeth they have to make sure the decaying matter is tender enough to maneuver in their mouths and “chew”. In this lab we decided to test if the sow bugs liked wet or dry environments because we knew that they needed moisture to survive. The idea was that we would use a piece of filter paper on both sides of a plastic sector container. On one side of the container we wet the filter paper and the other side would remain dry. The idea is we would count the number of bugs on each side every minute to see which environment they enjoyed the most. Our hypothesis was that the sow bugs would prefer the wet environment more than the dry environment, based on the former knowledge that they need moisture to survive.
Methods
For this lab, we had a sample size of 10 sow bugs. In order for us to measure how many sow bugs preferred a wet vs. a dry environment, we took a separated container and made a wet and dry environment on each side. We made the right side of the container a wet environment and the left side dry. Each side contained a small piece of filter paper, but on the left side, we put 5 mL of water on the paper. Once we set up the container for our experiment, we then placed the sow bugs into the container and observed them for a total of six minutes. One member of our group set a timer for six minutes, and as each minute passed, we recorded how many sow bugs were on the wet side of the container and how many were on the dry side.
Results
Table 1:
| Type of environment | Average over the 6 minutes |
| Wet | 1.67 bugs |
| Dry | 8.33 bugs |
Table 2:
The pill bug count was recorded at 1-minute intervals for a duration of 6 minutes, and the raw data were presented in Table 1, which was subsequently utilized to construct a bar graph. The observations in Table 1 were then averaged for both the wet and dry environments over the 6-minute timeframe, resulting in the summary of the data presented in Table 2. The results in Table 2 indicated that, overall, the pill bugs exhibited a preference for the dry environment after the 6-minute observation period.
Discussion
The hypothesis that sow bugs prefer wet conditions over dry conditions was not supported by the experiment. As the results as seen in table 1, reflect that the sow bugs choose the dry side of the container. It is able to determine the results by understanding there were 60 trials total, one for each of the 10 sow bugs and repeated 6 times. Therefore it’s possible to add results and divide that by 60 and multiply by 100 to find the average for how often a sow bug preferred the wet side or the dry side. On average 16.6% of the time the sow bugs preferred the wet side of the dish, and 83.3% the bugs preferred the dry side of the dish. This data directly conflicts with the hypothesis and reflects the conclusion that the sow bugs prefer the dry side of the dish. By understanding the implications of the experiment it is possible to hypothesize that sow bug’s survival instincts cause them to seek shelter in dry conditions when wet conditions are present.
There are some areas of uncertainty in regards to the experiment that was left undiscovered. Such as the amount of water in relation to sow bug’s preference. 5 mL of water was used in the experiment however no other amounts of water were used in comparison. This lessens the ability to study anything other than the current hypothesis. The results of this experiment are solely based on the reaction that sow bugs have to that specific amount of water. Further study is needed to determine if sow bugs prefer less water in their environment or more water, and that may then support the current hypothesis.
Conclusion
The purpose of this experiment was to test whether sow bugs prefer wet or dry environments. After recording the number of sow bugs on each side, the majority of the sow bugs stayed on the dry side. Which concludes that the sow bugs prefer a dry environment over a wet environment. These findings do not support the hypothesis that sowbugs prefer wet over dry environments.
References
Thorp JH, D Christopher Rogers. 2011. Field guide to freshwater invertebrates of North America. Burlington, Ma: Academic Press. (acessed 2026 Feb 10) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/chapter/monograph/pii/B978012381426500017X?via%3Dihub
Katz O, Devries Z, Larson J. 2023 Oct. Sowbugs & Pillbugs. Department of entomology. [Lexington (KY)]; Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. (accessed 2026 Feb 10). https://entomology.mgcafe.uky.edu/ef439
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