Scientific name
Armadillidium pictum
This small Armadillidium requires more careful identification than colour comparison. The BMIG notes its visual similarity to A. pulchellum and highlights particular difficulties with females. [1]
Origin
British data mainly report it in wooded or rocky areas of hilly regions. They describe local observations and do not constitute a worldwide map of the species. [1]
- Natural-history profile
- Difficult identification
- Dead wood
Documented natural-history profile; captive protocol absent from the source collection. Not presented as a standalone husbandry guide.
At a glance
A small woodlouse whose identification requires several characters, particularly when compared with Armadillidium pulchellum. Natural-history profile [1][2].
| DOCUMENTED SIZE | Up to 9 mm BMIG synthesis; possible confusion with A. pulchellum [1][2]. |
|---|---|
| LIFESPAN | To be documented No supported individual lifespan in the selected sources. |
| LIFESTYLE | Wood and moss Shelters and observations in trees documented by BMIG [1]. |
Adult size
Up to 9 mm in the BMIG synthesis. Size alone does not distinguish a juvenile pictum from an adult pulchellum. [1][2]
Lifespan
Individual lifespan is not established by the selected documents; no numerical value is extrapolated.
Lifestyle
Observed in sheltered microhabitats, particularly decaying wood, bark and moss; the BMIG also reports observations above ground in trees. [1]
Housing
NATURAL HABITAT
Wooded environments — Bark and decaying wood in natural-history observations; no captive setup validated by the selected sources [1].
No complete species-specific husbandry and breeding protocol has been established from the selected sources.
Care parameters
CAPTIVE HUSBANDRY
Not established — The sources describe identification and habitats, without a validated captive temperature.
Humidity
Natural environment — Shelters beneath bark and in decaying wood; no captive air percentage adopted [1].
Temperature
Not determined for long-term husbandry; no numerical instruction. The selected sources do not allow a species-specific husbandry temperature to be proposed.
Humidity and ventilation
Natural microhabitats do not provide a humidity target for an enclosure. Examine substrate beneath shelters and record the enclosure’s actual conditions.
Feeding
DIETARY DATA
No species-specific captive menu, feeding rhythm or calcium dose is established in the selected identification references [1][2].
Scope of this profile
Documented natural-history profile; captive protocol absent from the source collection. Not presented as a standalone husbandry guide.
Comparing the right characters
The publication by Gregory and Richards corrects errors in an older British key. A. pictum forms a closed ball and has a gradually pointed rear angle on the first thoracic segment, unlike pulchellum. [2] These characters require a suitable view: a distant dorsal photograph is insufficient. Keeping original images and the scale used helps a specialist re-examine the identification.
Understanding the environment
Presence beneath bark or in decaying wood describes an encounter location; it does not demonstrate that any wood is suitable as captive substrate. [1] For a natural-history inventory, describe the exact support, its decay level, exposure and site context. This precision is more useful than simply writing ‘forest’ and allows later observations to be compared.
Setup and diet: missing data
The two references are identification and distribution documents. They provide no substrate mix, ventilation frequency, captive menu or calcium supplementation tested for this species. This profile retains that limit instead of copying another Armadillidium’s recipe. A culture project therefore requires additional information from an identified population monitored over several generations.
Temperature and humidity
The region where an animal was observed does not describe its shelter’s temperature or humidity. Without measurements in that microhabitat, inferring a heating instruction would be unjustified. During a field observation, record conditions and measurement method while distinguishing general weather from the local state beneath the shelter. There is no numerical range here to apply automatically.
Young and reproduction
No sufficiently documented reproductive schedule is adopted. Possible confusion between small pictum and adult pulchellum makes juvenile counts based solely on length particularly fragile. [2] Keep confirmed identification, probable identification and simple observation distinct. A decrease in small size classes must not be presented as certain mortality without other evidence.
Observing without degrading the shelter
In the field, replace lifted elements as they were and limit repeated searches in the same place. For the log, link date, location, photograph and identification confidence. This profile provides natural-history support and a bibliographic starting point; it certifies neither commercial availability, ease of breeding nor compatibility with a community terrarium.
Checklist
- Document identification and its reliability.
- Describe the microhabitat and observation context.
- Do not extrapolate a husbandry protocol from another species.
Observations to record
- Manual natural-history log
- Photographs and identification criteria
- Context of repeated observations
The app provides individual animal records. Check which features are available for your animal in the released version.
Sources
Document-based overview; not a substitute for veterinary advice.