Armadillidium vulgare

SPECIES: Armadillidium vulgare (order Isopoda)

COMMON NAME: (common) pill woodlouse.

SIZE: 8 - 10 mm

LIFECYCLE: The eggs are transported in a moist sac under the abdomen. When it grows too large for its own exoskeleton, the animal performs moults, leaving its old integument behind. This takes place in two stages, as the crustacean first sheds the rear section, before shedding its front section. The old section is then eaten. Woodlice are an example of crustaceans that have managed to colonize the Earth's environment.

FEATURES: When resting, or when they are disturbed, they roll up into a ball that offers no gripping points for the attacker. Its appearance makes it easy to confuse with Glomeris marginata. In fact the two animals are the farthest you can imagine: they belong to two different arthropod subphyla.

HABITAT: the woodlouse needs moisture as its integument does not allow it to preserve moisture effectively. It is possible to see them walking in the sun: in such cases, the animal is probably looking for a damp shelter because the old one is dry. They can be found in both mountains and plains. By day they hide under the ground, under rocks or in rotting logs.

DIET: dead plants and animals.

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