Armadillidiidae

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Armadillidiidae Temporal range: Chattian–present PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
An Armadillidium granulatum in various stages of conglobation, i.e., "rolling up"
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Clade:	Pancrustacea
Class:	Malacostraca
Order:	Isopoda
Suborder:	Oniscidea
Section:	Crinocheta
Family:	Armadillidiidae Brandt, 1833
Genera
See text

Armadillidiidae is a family of woodlice, a terrestrial crustacean group in the order Isopoda. Unlike members of some other woodlice 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. This ability gives woodlice in this family their common names of pill bugs or roly pollies. Other common names include slaters, potato bugs, curly bugs,^{[better source needed]} and doodle bugs. Most species are native to the Mediterranean Basin,^{[not verified in body]} while a few species have wider European distributions.^{[not verified in body]} The best-known species, Armadillidium vulgare,^{[not verified in body]} was introduced to New England in the early 19th century and has become widespread throughout North America.

Common names

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, cuckoo wasps, and some extinct trilobites. 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.^{[citation needed]} Armadillidiidae have overlapping plates called tergites that are connected by flexible joints.^{[citation needed]} The tergites allow the body to roll up inwards.^{[citation needed]} To roll up, they have muscles called pleopods that contract the abdominal tergites inwards.^{[citation needed]}

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 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.^{[better source needed]} They will also eat shed snakeskin and dead bugs, if necessary.^{[citation needed]} This diet has a secondary effect of accelerating the breakdown of litter, aiding in the retention of organic material in the soil.^{[citation needed]} This helps in balancing the carbon content in the soil. Pill bugs also contribute to their ecosystem as detritivores.^{[citation needed]}

Pill bugs are often found in damp places with ample amounts of decaying matter, such as leaf litter and compost piles. Pill bugs are usually found in cool, damp, shaded places such as beneath rocks, logs, fallen leaves, and mulch, and they are most active at night. However, pill bugs can be serious pests in certain agricultural systems, particularly in areas that are prone to heavy rains and flood conditions.^{[citation needed]}

Pill bugs will feed on numerous crop plants including corn, beans, squash, peas, melon, chard, beet, cucumber, potato, spinach, lettuce, and strawberry,^{[citation needed]} with potential for significant yield loss in strawberry in particular.^{[citation needed]} Since they are attracted to decaying plant matter, they are often found on farms eating the crop residue, which can lead them to start eating emerging seedlings.^{[citation needed]} This has started to pose agricultural problems in Southern Australia.^{[citation needed]} Farmers in the United States and Argentina have also reported increased rates of pill bugs destroying seed oil and soybean crops.^{[citation needed]} They have also been observed eating wood supports in houses, making them a house pest.^{[citation needed]}

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, 18 genera are currently recognized:==August 2026==^{[failed verification]}

Seventeen^{[clarification needed]} of these are:^{[citation needed]}

A 2022 study of myrmecophilous populations indicated that these represented a new species of Cristarmadillidium, and three new species within a new genus, Iberiarmadillidium.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Armadillidiidae.

Wikispecies has information related to Armadillidiidae.

• 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