Malacostraca

These little iopods, in the class Malacostraca, are commonly know as rolly-polys. They live in Dark, wet places. Such as under a rock or in moist dirt. Despite their alien-like appearance, these creepy crawlies only eat decomposing matter. Mostly decaying leaves and rotted fruit. You are actually doing a favor to them when you throw your banana peel out the window on a highway...although you might get a ticket. Clear cut signs of all species of land based isopods are, they can roll into a ball for protection and they live in musty dirty place. They are found numerous in Asia, Australia, America, and the Mediterranean area of Europe.

Things that set Woodlice away from other animals in the Malacostracan class is their defensive maneuvers. Everyone has poked a rolly-polly, admit it. But this species is the only kind that do it, other animals in the Malacostraca class, or even the Armadillidea family. Sowbugs, which are often confused with Pillbugs are characterized only by a lighter shade of legs, and by running away instead of curling up.

◊ Its protective shell.

◊ its unique shell patterns are never the same.

◊ They roll into balls.

◊ They have gills, but also lungs.

◊ They molt their shells, Sowbugs don't.

◊ They are not economically important, unless there is a lot of dead plant matter.

◊ They are Crustaceans, Sowbugs are bugs.

Pillbugs have a plethora of adaptations that have allowed them to live the way they do. First, their back obviously blocks predators from getting to their organs. But since they have gills, they need to retain water. So, they have adapted, they learned that night air has more moisture thats why they are more active at night. In dry conditions, they also bunch together to avoid losing water through their bodies.

Pillbugs are not carnivores, these little pests are detrivores, so they only eat decomposing plant matter, and animal feces. They aren't like other decomposers like fungi, because they can eat bigger organisms then mushrooms can absorb. They eat using their mandibles just like common bugs do.

There is one major thing that separates pill bugs from humans and other mammals. That is, they don't have a heart. That's right, no heart. they circulate blood by vessels into sinuses and their blood does not go in a complete circle. It is an open system, as shown below.

Pillbugs have no need to secrete. Like most people, a pillbugs urine is contained in the urea. Their urine contains high amounts of ammonia. But unlike most people, they can tolerate it. They turn the ammonia into a gas which they can release through their exoskeleton.

Two green glands on the bottom of a pillbug, near the antenna, are in charge of excreting. Their bottom is at the back, but the glands that control when it goes are controlled near its head.

Pillbugs move using their 14 legs, the legs have joints like us. They don't need to run fast so they have evolved legs that are better at walking over their terrain then running away. They use that and their lay of the land to escape predators, brains over brawn.

Unlike their heart, Pillbugs actually have a brain, and it's where its supposed to be. Their nervous systems look more or less what you'd expect it to look like, besides the fact that they have one cord going all the way down their body. It looks a lot like a spinal column on a human, but it isn't as long.

The spring time, late March to early June, is the best time to mate for the Pillbug. Mating only takes a few seconds, the sperm from a male is placed on the back of the female where about 10-20 microscopic holes absorb the sperm and fertilize the egg. The females carry the babies in a fluid filled, pouch called a marsupium. The babies molt two or three times after they emerge and then they no longer depend on their mom.

1. They are also called, Roly polies, potato bugs, armadillo bugs, and more.

2. A Pillbug molts in two sections, one half the back, one half the front.

3. They are closer related to crayfish and lobsters then ants and bugs.

4. They have gills, but can't survive in water.

5. Pillbugs eat their own feces to retain the copper found in it.

6. They have two pairs of antennae, a pair that are visible, a pair that are not.

7. The shell is made of calcium.

8. It uses compound eyes instead of eye stalks

9. When a pillbug gets a viral infection called an iridovirus they turn bright blue of purple under the sun.

10. A Pillbugs blood is blue. Unlike our blood which is red, a pillbugs blood is bright blue. It is like this because of one protein. We have a protein called Hemoglobin in our blood which makes it red, but they have a protein called Hemocyanin which, when exposed to oxygen, makes it appear blue.

Overall/Tidbits from each section:

https://www.calvin.edu/academic/ecopreserve/programs/Beach%20Maple%20Forest%20Le sson%20Plans/Creepy%20Crawly%20Info%20Cards%20for%20Teachers.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodlouse?scrlybrkr=45db60c7

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detritivore?scrlybrkr=45db60c7

http://science-ed.pnnl.gov/pals/resource/cards/pillbugs.stm

Reproduction:

http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Armadillidium_vulgare/

Urination & excretion:

https://www.thoughtco.com/fascinating-facts-about-pillbugs-1968438

Fun facts:

http://outreach.mcb.harvard.edu/teachers/Summer05/ElizabethMick/PillbugBehavior.pdf

https://www.thoughtco.com/fascinating-facts-about-pillbugs-1968438