Wood louse

Wood lice
Species information
Eye colour	Black
Skin colour	Black
Mortality	Mortal
Distinction	Small crustaceans Inhabit trees
Status	Extant

Professor Grubbly-Plank: "Yes, these are Bowtruckles, and as Miss Granger righty says, they generally live in trees whose wood is of wand quality. Anybody know what they eat?"

Hermione: "Wood lice. But fairy eggs if they can get them."

— Professor Grubbly-Plank teaching fifth-years about Bowtruckles

Wood lice are crustaceans that live in trees. In appearance, they somewhat resembled grains of brown rice. They were a favourite food of Bowtruckles, and were offered to them by wizards and witches who wished to obtain wood from the tree they lived in to use in making wands. Wood lice could also be used as potion ingredients.

History

Bowtruckles eating wood lice scattered on the ground

During the 1986–1987 school year, Jacob's sibling was given some wood lice by Rubeus Hagrid to distract any Bowtruckles they encountered whilst searching for a fallen sycamore tree within the Forbidden Forest. Jacob's sibling hoped they wouldn't have to use any, but was forced to protect Penny Haywood when she started to get attacked by the Bowtruckles.

In 1995, Professor Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank scattered some of these to placate some Bowtruckles as she taught Rubeus Hagrid's fifth-year Care of Magical Creatures students about them.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (First appearance)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (First mentioned)
• Pottermore
• Harry Potter (website)
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
• The Harry Potter Wizarding Almanac