woodlouse

plural woodlice

1. Any of various small terrestrial isopod crustaceans of suborder Oniscidea, having a rigid segmented exoskeleton, usually feeding on dead plant matter and living in damp, dark places, such as under stones or bark. Several common species roll into a ball when disturbed, hence names such as pill bug and roly-poly.

   In addition, both the woodlouse and the crayfish possess an unpaired medial nerve which runs along the whole length of the ventral nerve cord, linking adjacent ganglia.

   1995, Olaf Breidbach, Wolfram Kutsch, editors, The Nervous Systems of Invertebrates: An Evolutionary and Comparative Approach, page 193

   2 more examples

   Woodlice commonly produce offspring 1–3 times per year, with spring and autumn broods most common. Woodlice often survive for longer than a year, with longevity of 2–5 years not uncommon.

   2001, John L. Capinera, editor, Handbook of Vegetable Pests, page 566

   The sections allow woodlice to bend and curve their armored bodies. Some types of woodlice can roll into a tight ball. They do this to protect themselves when threatened by a predator. Female woodlice carry their eggs in a liquid-filled pouch under their bodies. When the young woodlice hatch from the eggs, they crawl out of the pouch.

   2011, Ruth Owen, Creepy Backyard Invaders, page 18

   Synonyms: armadillo bug, butcher boy, cheese-bug, cheesybug, cheeselog, chiggypig, chucky pig, doodlebug