The Common Striped Woodlouse is not found near houses or in cellars, but can be found in larger gardens, woodlands etc. It lives among fallen leaves, mosses etc. Both the Dutch and Latin names refer to the animal as Moss Woodlouse. The two species look like eachother very much, except for the dark head and the clear line on the back of the Striped Woodlouse. The latter is extremely variable and comes in yellowish, reddish and even greenish colours. The Shiny Woodlouse, the Rough Woodlouse and the Striped Woodlouse species live in quite similar ways.



In the two bottom pictures an example of how variable the Common Striped Woodlouse can be. Actually this animal is very beautiful indeed. The Striped Woodlouse often can be identified by the fact that it is a fast runner (much faster than the other common woodlice). Turning over stoned and logs in very early spring however takes away this disadvantage: they are often too cold to run away that fast!