Pill Bug Facts for Kids

A Picture of a Pill Bug
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Crustacea
  • Class: Malacostraca
  • Family: Armadillidiidae
  • Genus: Armadillidium
  • Species: Armadillidium vulgare

13 Pill Bug Facts for Kids

  1. The pill bug (Armadillidium vulgare) is an arthropod woodlouse that is a member of the Armadillidium genus.
  2. The pill bug is all called a carpenter, doodle bug, potato bug and roly-poly.
  3. The bionomical name for the pill bug is Armadillidium vulgare.
  4. The pill bug was first described by French zoologist Pierre Latreille in 1804.
  5. A pill bug is not an insect, they’re a crustacean.
  6. The pill bug is by far the most studied crustacean.
  7. A pill bug is known for its ability to roll up into a ball when distrusted or threatened.
  8. Pill bugs can be found in dark, humid places, such as under bricks, logs and rocks.
  9. The pill bug (Armadillidium vulgare) is native to Europe but has been introduced to North America.
  10. In North America, the population density of pill bugs in some areas can reach over 900 pill bugs per square foot.
  11. The pill bug can reach up to 0.71 inch in length.
  12. There are three lifecycles for a pill bug, and they are egg, young and adult.
  13. The average life span of a pill bug is about a year and a half, but some can live for up to three years in captivity.

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