Most isopods, including pill bugs, have 7 pairs of legs. Utilizing pleopodal lungs creates a permanent respiratory constraint on land. Scientists discovered crustaceans successfully adapted to dry ...

Mary Jo DiLonardo has worked in print, online, and broadcast journalism for 25 years and covers nature, health, science, and animals. The roly-poly, or pill bug, is a terrestrial crustacean that looks ...

When pill bugs roll into a tiny ball, the act looks far simpler than it actually is. Known as conglobation, a pill bugs’ “ball” involves a full-body engineering trick designed to protect them from ...

Pill bugs are common but unique creatures that are found throughout the world, including the U.S. They’re also known as rolly pollies because of their tendency to curl up into a ball when they’re ...

With winter rains, Bay Area pill bugs are out in force. Fortunately, they’re one of our most beloved “bugs.” Pill bugs. Doodle bugs. Potato bugs. Wood Shrimp. Whatever you call them, there’s something ...

Most people first notice pill bugs while lifting a flowerpot or turning over a log, then watching small gray roly polies curl into tight balls. Because they share space with ants and beetles, many ...

Conglobation protects certain pill bugs and also helps them retain moisture. Some predators have adapted to have specialized mouthparts that overcome this armored sphere defense. When pill bugs roll ...