about 1/4" long and look like little armadillos. We live in the Northeast and these bugs seem to live underneath rocks. My daughters like to catch them for their bug jars, but I'd like to do some research to see what they eat to keep them alive. Does anyone know the name of these bugs? We've nicknamed them rolly-pollies, potato bugs and armadillo bugs.
2006-07-05 16:38:32 · 15 answers · asked by professionalfemale01 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Other - Science
Yes, they sometimes curl up into little balls when touched. Almost like that's their defense-mechanism.
2006-07-05 16:43:01 · update #1
Pill bugs. Actually they are not bugs, they are a crustacean.
Here is some good info:
http://www.zoo.org/educate/fact_sheets/sowbug/sowbug.htm
2006-07-05 16:40:58 · answer #1 · answered by Evilest_Wendy 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sowbugs and Pillbugs and Rolly Pollies
Both pillbugs (that roll themselves into balls) and their closely related cousins the sowbugs actually are not insects at all - but are crustaceans, related to crabs, shrimps and lobsters. These are the only crustaceans that have adapted to spending their entire life out of water. Even though officially terrestrial, pillbugs and sowbugs are restricted to damp environments and still breath by means of gills. They have 7 pairs of legs and a life cycle that may last up to two years.
rolly pollies are beneficial decomposers in the garden, breaking down dead plants and organic materials and facilitating decomposition.
they can sometimes cause problems by eating ripe fruit or vegetables that lay in direct contact with the soil. In cooler periods when plant growth is slow, pillbugs and sowbugs may damage the succulent stems or root systems of select garden plants. In addition, rolly pollies can sometimes enter and become a nuisance pest inside homes, especially if vegetation is grown right up to the sides of the house.
2006-07-05 16:45:49 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yeah, those are pretty persistent little critters. Some people call them armadillo bugs. Their common name is "sowbugs". I like armadillo bug better. There are aquatic and terrestrial species of sowbugs.
2006-07-05 16:46:48 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sow bugs (rhymes with cow bugs) -- also called rollie pollies or pill bugs. They aren't really insects, they're actually crustaceans.
2006-07-05 16:49:31 · answer #4 · answered by Mel 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sound like rolly pollies to me,too
2006-07-05 16:41:56 · answer #5 · answered by dragonfly 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I always called them potato bugs.
2006-07-05 16:44:42 · answer #6 · answered by Clean Independent Energy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pillbug....yea they're sometimes called rolly pollies
2006-07-05 16:43:22 · answer #7 · answered by Bunny Babe 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
PIll bug, they call it that cause someone thought it looked like a pill when it rolled up.
2006-07-05 17:14:34 · answer #8 · answered by BIGRED 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are several different names that people will call them. I've always heard them called sow bugs
2006-07-05 16:45:02 · answer #9 · answered by Julie 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
rollie pollies! do they curl up when u touch them?
2006-07-05 16:41:57 · answer #10 · answered by daydreamer8725 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋