Fauna
Invertebrate

Brickwork Woodlouse

Porcellio spinicornis

Brickwork woodlice are distinctive terrestrial crustaceans recognized by their strikingly dark, almost black head contrasting sharply with a pale, mottled grey body marked by paired yellow patches along the spine. Unlike many relatives that remain buried deep in leaf litter, they are agile vertical climbers that favor calcium-rich substrates like old stone walls, limestone cliffs, and building mortar. They forage primarily after dark, grazing on microscopic algae, lichen, and soft decaying vegetation before retreating into tight crevices at dawn.

CrustaceanNocturnalDecomposer
Brickwork Woodlouse reference
(c) Gilles San Martin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Gilles San Martin · cc-by-sa
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Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyDecaying Leaves, Green Algae, Lichen
Predators
  • Woodlouse Spider
  • Lithobiid Centipede
  • Common Toad
ThreatsMortar repointing, pesticide runoff, and loss of old masonry structures
HabitatsStone walls, limestone outcrops, quarries, brickwork, and leaf litter
Life span2–3 years
Classification
  1. OrderIsopoda
  2. FamilyPorcellionidae
  3. GenusPorcellio
  4. SpeciesPorcellio spinicornis
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Night Spotting: Search old stone or brick walls after dark with a soft flashlight to catch them active.
  • Gentle Inspection: Use a small magnifying loupe to observe their spiny lateral lobes without handling them.
Related species
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