Porcellio laevis

This bad boy was given it's binomial name in 1804, but was first recorded in 13th century Britain and could have north African origins. They're very easy to spot and can be over 3/4 of an inch long, but will do a little sprint (with alternating turns) when you bother them. Their bold patterns, activity level, and easy care make them one of the most popular beginner pods. They're very food responsive and are fairly likely to eat right out of your hand. In captivity, they WILL outcompete any smaller species. During times where they don't have enough protien, they can resort to cannibalism.

Some extra lore

Although identifiable evidence of woodlice is rarely found in archaeological deposits, ‘sub-fossil’ remains of P. laevis were recorded from a medieval infill pit at Stonar in East Kent (Girling, 1979). The processes by which such remains were preserved in an archaeological context are described by Girling, involving the permeation of calcium carbonate into the exoskeleton in hard water, waterlogged conditions."

My experience

Mine get surprisingly big and everyone who warns others about having problems with excess pods was right. They like hiding under leaf litter and at a shallow depth in the substrate. They're said to be fairly aggressive, but I mostly notice this during mate guarding time, which gets HEATED.

Popular morphs