Bugs That Roll Up When Touched

These flat 1 4 or smaller insects usually live under rocks or logs.

Bugs that roll up when touched.

Armadillidiidae is a family of woodlice a terrestrial crustacean group in the order isopoda unlike members of other woodlouse families members of this family can roll into a ball an ability they share with the outwardly similar but unrelated pill millipedes and other animals. Their ability to curl up distinguishes the pill bug from another close relative the sowbug. A woodlouse plural woodlice is a crustacean from the monophyletic suborder oniscidea within the isopods this name is descriptive of their being found in old wood. Pill bugs roll into a ball for defense or to avoid drying out.

Pill bugs are sometimes referred to as rollie pollies. This name is due to the fact that the pill bug can roll up into a tight ball when disturbed. Pill bugs eat their own poop. With winter rains bay area pill bugs are out in force.

Video by josh cassidy kqed. When you turn over a rock old board mulch or leaf litter in your yard you may see a bunch of small slate gray buglike creatures that resemble miniature armadillos. Most kids have poked a pill bug to watch it roll up into a tight ball. In fact many people call them roly polies for just this reason.

When harassed they ball up to protect themselves. If you have an infestation read below to find out how to get rid of pill bugs. Roly poly bug facts. They have many common names and although often referred to as terrestrial isopods some species live semiterrestrially or have.

Bug rolling in when touched. The first woodlice were marine isopods which are presumed to have colonised land in the carboniferous. Armadillidium vulgare is the most common species in the u s. Dead or dying insects assume a familiar pose.

Lying on their back legs sticking up in the air. This ability gives woodlice in this family their common names of pill bugs or roly polies. This tell tale position is actually a symptom of an ailing bug s decreased coordination and failing. These insects have a hard layered shell which looks something like armadillo skin and 14 legs.