A colourful world with a dark future: Unregulated trade as an emerging threat for woodlice (Isopoda: Oniscidea) of Spain

Abstract

Woodlice (Isopoda: Oniscidea) constitute a diverse and ecologically significant group inhabiting a great variety of ecosystems with a crucial role for ecosystem functioning, but strongly overlooked in conservation efforts and threats to species and populations are hardly studied. In this study, we evaluate for the first time the potential impact of an emerging unregulated trade on the woodlice of Spain. We conducted a search for all Spanish species nationally and internationally traded via online shops and studied various aspects of the nature of this market and its tendency. We found 56 species currently traded in international stores, and an additional 30 species through transactions on social media. Furthermore, the amount and number of species are increasing and far from stabilising, with higher prices paid for endemic than non‐endemic species. This situation puts pressure on local populations, potentially inducing local extinctions, affecting ecosystem functioning. Other potential future threats such as genetic contamination of native populations and the introduction of alien species cannot be ruled out. The conservation of woodlice faces significant challenges due to a lack of assessments of species conservation status and conservation action plans for the most affected species. We propose preventive measures, such as the creation of whitelists or blacklists, essential to protect (endemic) species and mitigate the threat of invasive species.