100 Species #28: Pill bug

[urbpan]

There are nearly 200 species of pill bug, but in the absence of any smarty-pants to tell me otherwise, these are probably Armadillidium vulgare, found under the same rock with the flat-backed millipede.

Pill bugs are those woodlice with the ability to roll up into a ball to defend themselves. Pill bugs and other woodlice are harmless terrestrial crustaceans that feed on fungi and fungus-affected plant material. Occasionally this includes water-damaged wood indoors, which accounts for the times that these creatures and their specialized predators are found in buildings.

This animal is noteworthy in human culture for its ability to generate common names and discussions about them.

The pill bug was previously encountered on this blog as 365 Urban Species #152, and also I wrote a paper about the woodlouse suborder, Oniscidea.