The faecal actinomycete flora of Protracheoniscus amoenus (woodlice; Isopoda).

Following a marked order of preference, adults of Protracheoniscus amoenus consumed in preference tests the fallen, weathered leave species of forest litter much more selectively than those of the millipede Chromatoiulus projectus. Under natural circumstances, the individuals (prejuveniles, juveniles, young adults and adults) of these two species live frequently together in the forest litter-layer, feeding on weathered leaves of the very same tree species and placing their faecal pellets in the vicinity of each other. Accordingly, there is a high probability of mutual contamination with their faecal bacteria. In contrast, promicromonospora-type intestinal actinomycetes characterized by cell-wall composition type VI colonize only the faeces of Ch. projectus, and are completely lacking of the dropped pellets of woodlice. Diverse species of streptomycetes were detected in the fresh faecal matter of both litter-dwelling animal species, but presumably they were only survivors of gut passage and passive travellers through the digestive canal.