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Pill Bugs
Scientific Name:
Armadillidiidae vulgare
Type:
Invertebrate
Habitat:
Damp locations like organic garbage and rotting wood
Range:
Europe and North America
Status:
No listed status
This species is
NON-NATIVE
to the Truckee Meadows.
Identification:
Pill bugs, also known as roly polies, are small invertebrates most known for rolling into a ball when threatened. They are wingless, with blue-gray ovular bodies about 0.5 inches long. Pill bugs have seven pairs of legs.
Fast Facts:
Despite their names, pill bugs aren't insects. Instead, they are crustaceans, the only crustaceans that can spend their entire lives on land.
While they can't live submerged in water, pill bugs need moisture to survive. They are unable to inhabit dry habitats.
Pill bugs are decomposers that play the important ecosystem role of decomposing the materials of dead plants and animals.
Female pill bugs can carry up to 50 eggs at once. Mothers carry their eggs in a pouch.
Sources:
Contributor(s):
Faviola Rodriguez (research & content)
Jill Katz (photos)
Alex Shahbazi (edits & page design)
Last Updated:
March 27, 2024 at 1:48:22 AM
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