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The log pile · Centipedes, millipedes and woodlice
Pill woodlouse
Armadillidium vulgare
A domed, slate-grey woodlouse with fourteen legs that can roll itself into a perfect ball.
- Size
- Up to 18mm long
- Look for it
- All year round
- Where
- Under stones, logs and flowerpots, most often on chalk or limestone
My spotter's list
Trundles after you, and rolls up if you rush it. Move your pointer and see.
Good to know
Six things about the woodlouse
BallIt rolls into a ball
When threatened it tucks in its head and legs. Only this kind can close up completely.
CrabA crab on land
Woodlice are not insects. They are crustaceans, related to crabs and shrimps.
GillsIt breathes through gills
It still breathes with gills, which must stay damp. That is why it hides in moist places.
PouchA pouch for its young
The mother carries her eggs, and then the tiny white young, in a pouch under her body.
NamesA hundred names
Roly-poly, chiggy pig, cheeselog, slater, monkey pea: nearly every county has its own name for it.
BloodBlue blood
Its blood is based on copper, not iron, and is pale blue.
The real thing
Photos of the woodlouse
Photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the free licences shown. They have been resized, and cropped where they appear in link previews.
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Out and aboutHow to spot one
Turn over any stone or flowerpot. Touch one gently and count how long it takes to unroll.
Lend a handHow to help
Woodlice only eat what is already dead or rotting. They do no harm, and they make compost.
Following youLadybird
Who should follow you?
The garden
Meadow and hedgerow
Pond and stream bugs live on their own page: choosing one takes you there.
Pond and stream
The log pile
After dark
Bugs from other parts of the world live on their own pages: choose another.
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