Common Pill Woodlouse

The common pill woodlouse, also called the common pill-bug, rolly-polly, potato bug, slater, doodle bug, or carpenter, is a widespread species of woodlouse native to Mediterranean Europe. It is the most extensively studied terrestrial isopod species, and as an introduced species it has become naturalized across most suitable ecosystems worldwide. Many of its behaviors are driven by avoiding desiccation, which is why it is commonly found in humid, moderate temperature areas, and it feeds primarily on plant litter, a role essential to nitrogen cycling, while also serving as prey for spiders, centipedes, and other small predators.