woodlouse

{plural – woodlice}  (also ‘pill bug’, ‘sow bug’)

a kind of animal – land dwelling crustacean (= a group of animals that includes crab, lobster, shrimp, etc.) – nocturnal (= active at night) – soft, flat, oval-shaped body in 11 segments covered by exoskeleton (= a tough, flexible out cover) divided in 13 horny plates, either in grey, green or brown colour, body in three parts: the head, the thorax and the abdomen, with two antennae and a pair of round, black eyes on the head part, 7 pairs (14) jointed legs; size: from 1/5 of an inch to 2 inches long, and weight: —; feeds on (eats) dead plant matter and damp wood; lives for 1-4 years; about 3,500 species found in most damp places, including homes, all over the world

Some other common names, especially in the US, are: ‘armadillo bug’, ‘cheeselog’, doodle-bug’, ‘roly-poly’, ‘potato bug’, ‘rollup bug’, ‘chuggy pig’, etc.

Special Features:

Though they look like insects without wings, woodlice are not insects; they are land ‘crustaceans’, a group of animals that include crabs, lobsters, shrimps, etc.

Woodlice breathe through air-holes on the last (hindmost) pair of legs!

Some species of woodlouse roll up into a ball in defence when danger threatens!

Thus the name ‘pill bug’ or ‘rollup bug’; and because they have horny planted outer cover, like the banded armadillo, they are called ‘armadillo bug’!

People in some countries find these small animals so fascinating that they print these animal pictures on their postal stamps!!

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