Sowbug

Porcellio laevis

Appearance. Sowbugs are flat, oval creatures. They are about 1 cm long. Their body has several segments. They have seven pair of legs and two pair of antennae. Another crustacean, the pillbug, resembles the sowbug. Sowbugs cannot roll up when they are disturbed like pillbugs do. Sowbugs have two appendages that look like tails. Pillbugs do not have the appendages.
Behavior, Diet & Habits. Sowbugs are not able to retain water in their bodies, so they spend most of their time in damp places. Outdoors they hide under logs, rocks, flowerpots and trash cans. Sowbugs eat organic debris and decaying plants, so it is common to find them under mulch in flowerbeds. To conserve moisture, they are usually active at night.
Sowbugs usually come into homes through ground-level doors and windows. Sliding glass doors seem to be a favorite entrance for them. Homeowners often find sowbugs in basements and other places that have a damp, humid environment. Sowbugs wander to all parts of the home. They also invade garages and storage buildings. Since many areas in a home are too dry for sowbugs, they usually die after they come indoors.

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