top of page

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

bottom of page