Pill Woodlice
family of suborder “Woodlice, Pillbugs, and Rock Slaters“
1 family
Pill bugs in the family Armadillidiidae can roll into a ball shape as a defense mechanism called conglobation, similar to armadillos and cuckoo wasps. They feed on decaying plant matter and can also consume living plants, dead bugs, and animal flesh. Pill bugs play a role in balancing carbon content in the soil by aiding in the retention of organic material. While they are beneficial detritivores in ecosystems, they can become pests in agricultural systems by eating crop residue, seedlings, and wood supports in houses. The family Armadillidiidae is characterized by its unique features like the two-segmented antennal flagellum and the ability to roll into a ball.
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Ecology and behavior#
Pill bugs in the family Armadillidiidae are able to form their bodies into a ball shape, in a process known as conglobation. Conglobation has evolved independently in several families, this behaviour is shared with pill millipedes (which are often confused with pill bugs), armadillos, and cuckoo wasps. It may be triggered by stimuli such as vibrations or pressure, and is a key defense against predation; it may also reduce respiratory water losses. This defense mechanism is possible because of their segmented body structure. Armadillidiidae have overlapping plates called tergites that are connected by flexible joints. The tergites allow the body to roll up inwards. To roll up, they have muscles called pleopods that contract the abdominal tergites inwards. The diet of pill bugs is largely made up of decaying or decomposed plant matter such as leaves, and to a lesser extent, wood fibers. Pill bugs will also eat living plants, especially in wet conditions, sometimes consuming leaves, stems, shoots, roots, tubers, and fruits. Some species of pill bugs are known to eat decaying animal flesh or feces. They will also eat shed snakeskin and dead bugs, if necessary. This diet has a secondary effect of decelerating the breakdown of litter, aiding in the retention of organic material in the soil. This helps in balancing the carbon content in the soil. Pill bugs also contribute to their ecosystem as detritivores. However, pill bugs can be serious pests in certain agricultural systems, particularly in areas that are prone to heavy rains and flood conditions. Since they are attracted to decaying plant matter, they are often found on farms eating the crop residue. This leads pill bugs to start eating emerging seedlings. This has started to pose huge agricultural problems in Southern Australia. Farmers in the United States and in Argentina have also reported increased rates of pill bugs destroying seed oil and soybean crops. They have also been observed eating wood supports in houses making them a house pest. Pill bugs will feed on numerous crop plants including corn, beans, squash, peas, melon, chard, beet, cucumber, potato, spinach, lettuce, and strawberry, with potential for significant yield loss in strawberry in particular.
Classification#
The family Armadillidiidae is differentiated from other woodlouse families by the two-segmented nature of the antennal flagellum, by the form of the uropods, and by the ability to roll into a ball. Within the family Armadillidiidae, 15 genera are currently recognized:
A 2022 study of myrmecophilous populations indicated that these represented a new species of Cristarmadillidium, and three new species within a new genus, Iberiarmadillidium.
External links#
Media related to Armadillidiidae at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Armadillidiidae at Wikispecies Regional maps for the most common American names for this isopod can be found in the results for question 74 of the Harvard Dialect Survey Archived 2012-01-10 at the Wayback Machine
Pill bugs in the family Armadillidiidae can roll into a ball shape as a defense mechanism called conglobation, similar to armadillos and cuckoo wasps. They feed on decaying plant matter and can also consume living plants, dead bugs, and animal flesh. Pill bugs play a role in balancing carbon content in the soil by aiding in the retention of organic material. While they are beneficial detritivores in ecosystems, they can become pests in agricultural systems by eating crop residue, seedlings, and wood supports in houses. The family Armadillidiidae is characterized by its unique features like the two-segmented antennal flagellum and the ability to roll into a ball.
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