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Small bugs called pillbugs often live in basements, parks, and damp places close to homes. They are also known as roly-poly or woodlice. These crabs might curl up into balls to get your attention if you scare them.
Pillbugs protect their soft undersides from predators and harmful things in the environment by conglobation, which means twisting. By rolling into a ball, they protect soft spots with their hard bodies.
The pillbug’s natural defense helps it keep water, which is important because they do best in damp places. Pillbugs do not usually do much damage, but they can show that there is a problem with water or hurt young plants and seeds. Talk to professionals who deal with pest control to get rid of these bugs. To learn more, Take a look at this page.
What Are Pillbugs?
For the most part, individuals believe pillbugs are bugs, yet they are crabs. Pillbugs look more like shrimp and crayfish than any other insects, which have three body segments and six legs.
You can find these tiny crustaceans, which live on land in wet places like flower beds, under rocks, rotten leaves, and mulch. They prefer moist environments to inhabit to survive and perform other bodily functions.
Pillbugs are mostly active at night, coming out to feed on dead plants and seeds. Sometimes they will nibble on tender seedlings.
The Curling Behavior
Scientists call the way pillbugs curl up “conglobation.” This is one of the most interesting and well-known things they can do. When these animals feel attacked, they tuck their legs and antennae in and fold their bodies into a sphere shape. The more protective dorsal plates protect their softer, more vulnerable undersides.
Not only do pillbugs have conglobation, but some species of armadillos and millipedes also do. This is a way to protect themselves and stay alive, and it has been developed over millions of years.
Why Do Pillbugs Curl Up?
There are several reasons why pillbugs curl up, including the following:
- To protect themselves, Self-defense is the main reason pillbugs curl up. When they are curled, their soft underbelly is safely hidden inside their rigid shell. The vulnerable underbelly is normally out in the open and cannot defend itself.
- To keep the moisture in: Pillbugs are land-living crabs that still need moist surroundings in which to survive. They breathe by using gill-like structures that must remain damp in order to facilitate gas exchange. Curling up decreases the surface area exposed, so they lose less water.
- To handle stress, Curling does more than protect and keep moisture in. It also acts as a general stress reaction to certain environmental conditions. Pillbugs may congregate when the temperature changes quickly, they are exposed to bright light, or the ground shakes.
How Well Does This Strategy Work?
Curling up into a ball is a beneficial way for pillbugs to protect themselves from small animals. It also helps them keep their moisture when they are stressed. However, this strategy has its limitations.
Birds with strong beaks, like the Common Starling, can crack open the conglobated pillbug. In places that are very dry or cold, curling can only do so much to protect the pillbug. At the end of the day, it still needs a home with enough moisture to live well.
However, conglobation is still an important survival strategy that has helped the pillbug live for a long time as a species.
Observing Pillbugs: An Easy Experiment
Pillbugs are great for simple observation. Pick one up and put it somewhere you can see it. Gently tap around it or expose it to sunlight to see how it reacts. After you are done, gently put them back near a water body or where you found them.
If you think your garden is infested with pillbugs, call a professional pest control company.