Pill Bug
Table of Contents
Introduction
"A woodlouse (plural woodlice) is any crustacean belonging to the suborder Oniscidea within the order Isopoda. They get their name from often being found in old wood,[2] and from louse, a parasitic insect,[3] although woodlice are not insects." - Wikipedia: Woodlouse
"Woodlice need moisture because they rapidly lose water by excretion and through their cuticle, and so are usually found in damp, dark places, such as under rocks and logs, although one species, the desert dwelling Hemilepistus reaumuri, inhabits "the driest habitat conquered by any species of crustacean".[41] They are usually nocturnal and are detritivores, feeding mostly on dead plant matter." - Wikipedia: Woodlouse
Benefits
Biodiversity
"Woodlice are eaten by a wide range of insectivores, including spiders of the genus Dysdera, such as the woodlouse spider Dysdera crocata,[32] and land planarians of the genus Luteostriata, such as Luteostriata abundans.[43] " - Wikipedia: Woodlouse
Bioindicators
Some people worry that these are pests, but they are important to a healthy ecosystem.
"Woodlice are sensitive to agricultural pesticides, but can tolerate some toxic heavy metals, which they accumulate in the hepatopancreas. Thus they can be used as bioindicators of heavy metal pollution.[44]" - Wikipedia: Woodlouse