Scientific name
Armadillidium vulgare
This woodlouse, capable of closing into a ball, belongs to the Armadillidiidae. Its colour varies greatly: a marbled individual is therefore not automatically another species. [1]
Origin
The BMIG documents its presence in many British environments, from gardens to woodland and grassland, often beneath stones and dead wood. This observed distribution is not enough to reconstruct its worldwide native range. [1]
- Conglobation
- Litter
- Variable colours
Natural-history identification; husbandry from a commercial breeder, without experimental validation of a protocol.
At a glance
A woodlouse capable of rolling into a ball, with variable colouring, present in many documented British environments [1].
| DOCUMENTED SIZE | Up to 18 mm Body length in the BMIG synthesis [1]. |
|---|---|
| LIFESPAN | To be documented No supported individual lifespan in the selected sources. |
| LIFESTYLE | Ground-dwelling Shelters beneath stones, wood and plant debris [1]. |
Adult size
Up to 18 mm in body length in the BMIG synthesis. [1]
Lifespan
No sufficiently contextualised individual lifespan is adopted in this profile; track the colony’s generations separately.
Lifestyle
A terrestrial species using stones, dead wood and plant debris as shelters; conglobation is a response to disturbance, not a game to provoke. [1]
Housing
SETUP AND SHELTERS
Litter and shelters — Soil, leaves and wood; a moist area and a drier part in Insektenliebe’s practice [3].
Insektenliebe describes a base of soil, leaves and wood, with one slightly moist area and another drier one. [3] Providing a secure closure and vents is part of the enclosure’s practical organisation here.
Care parameters
BREEDER REFERENCE
18–24 °C — Insektenliebe practice, not physiological thresholds [2].
Humidity
A gradient — Slightly humid shelter and less humid part: Insektenliebe practice [3].
Temperature
18–24 °C at Insektenliebe [2] Commercial breeding experience, not an experimental safety interval. Measure at enclosure level.
Humidity
Humid shelter and less humid area [3] Do not convert this substrate gradient into an air-humidity percentage.
Feeding
DIET AND CALCIUM
Decaying plants, a calcium addition and small plant supplements in the cited practices [2][3].
Scope of this profile
Natural-history identification; husbandry from a commercial breeder, without experimental validation of a protocol.
Recognising a population
Slate grey is common, but patterned forms occur. The BMIG particularly notes confusion with A. depressum and the small A. pictum or A. pulchellum. Photographing the back, head and body tip is more useful than a single colourful view. [1] Keep the species name, supplier and any selected-strain name together; a commercial label does not replace identification.
Installing ground and shelters
The floor area must allow animals to move between zones. Distributing shelters across the gradient described by the breeder facilitates this choice. [3] For monitoring, identify a check shelter that can be lifted without disturbing the whole colony. Recording materials introduced and how they dry helps explain observed differences between two setups.
Diet and calcium
The breeding account describes a diet based on decaying plant matter and adding a calcium source to the soil. [2] The sales page also mentions leaves, vegetables and woodlouse food. [3] As a management method proposed here, record what has actually disappeared and inspect perishable leftovers at every check. Keeping a litter reserve avoids discovering its depletion too late.
Humidity and temperature
The wet/dry gradient is a commercial husbandry recommendation. [3] A room reading does not necessarily describe the environment beneath bark. Enter the measurement location and soil condition there in the log; keeping the same method makes comparisons interpretable. Avoiding changes in placement, particularly next to a heat source, also makes this monitoring easier.
Reproduction and young
The breeder describes reproduction as possible at room temperatures without imposing a cold rest. [2] No brood frequency is inferred here. Dating the first observation of young and then their presence at later checks distinguishes a birth sighting from lasting establishment of the new generation.
Monitoring and limitations
A surface count probably underestimates hidden individuals: record it as an observation indicator, not a certain population. If visibility drops unusually, first compare feeding, soil condition and recent changes. These observations do not constitute a diagnosis. Keeping identified groups separate and checking discarded substrate before removal avoids losing traceability or juveniles.
Checklist
- Prepare a reserve of leaves and shelters.
- Identify moisture-monitoring zones.
- Keep the original label and arrival observations.
Observations to record
- Manual log: substrate moisture
- Food additions and leftovers
- Young observed and deaths
- Colony photos
The app provides individual animal records. Check which features are available for your animal in the released version.
Related guides
Original guides in French
Sources
Document-based overview; not a substitute for veterinary advice.
- British Myriapod and Isopod Group — armadillidium vulgare
Source accessed - Insektenliebe — Armadillidium vulgare halten
Source accessed - Insektenliebe — Armadillidium vulgare, fiche de vente et maintien
Source accessed