Pill Bug Facts for Kids

14 Pill Bug Facts For Kids

1. Pill bug is the common name for a large group of land-based woodlice in the Armadillidiidae.
2. Pill bugs are not true insects, they are crustaceans (like crayfish) that live on land.
3. Pill bugs are also known as cheese logs, doodle bugs, potato bugs, slaters, and roly polies.
4. The most recognizable pill bug species is the common pill bug (Armadillidium vulgare).
5. You can easily identify a pill bug by their segmented armored oval-shaped bodies and ability to curl up into a ball.
6. Millions of years ago the ancestors of pill bugs crawled out of the sea and become the land crustaceans they are today.
7. Pill bugs were native to Europe, but have been introduced to all continents, except for Antarctica.
8. Pill bugs are omnivorous and eat meat and plant materials
9. The diet of pill bugs includes living, decaying or decomposed plant material and sometimes dead insects.
10. Pill bugs are classified as decomposers because they help breakdown decaying or decompose vegetation.
11. One of the pill bugs benefits as a decomposer is it can remove heavy metals from the soil, like arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc.
12. There are around 4,000 different pill bug species living today.
13. Pill bug species are usually slate grey, but can come in a variety of other colors, varying by species.
14. The primary defense mechanism of pill bugs is the ability to roll into a tight ball and protect their vulnerable underbelly.

Pill Bug Pictures

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the below images will be helpful for your research on pill bugs. Below are three pictures of various pill bug species. These pictures should help you better understand the different types of pill bugs found around the world.

A picture of a group of pill bugs on a leaf.

A picture of a pill bug walking in dirt.

A picture of a pill bug rolling into a ball.