Common Rough Woodlice (Porcellio scaber)
Found under every stone in my garden, these are Rough Woodlice (Porcellio scaber), one of the most common in the UK. I identified them using the key in Stephen Hopkins excellent AIDGAP book, which includes some interesting facts about woodlice in general. For example, at one time some people used to carry a few woodlice in a pouch attached to a cord round the neck and would swallow them as a cure for a stomach ache. Apparently their exoskeletons are rich in calcium carbonate which could act as an antacid. The ID has been confirmed by Paul Lee (Suffolk Isopoda Recorder).
Common Rough Woodlice (Porcellio scaber)
Found under every stone in my garden, these are Rough Woodlice (Porcellio scaber), one of the most common in the UK. I identified them using the key in Stephen Hopkins excellent AIDGAP book, which includes some interesting facts about woodlice in general. For example, at one time some people used to carry a few woodlice in a pouch attached to a cord round the neck and would swallow them as a cure for a stomach ache. Apparently their exoskeletons are rich in calcium carbonate which could act as an antacid. The ID has been confirmed by Paul Lee (Suffolk Isopoda Recorder).