Pill Bug Anatomy

The head the middle thorax pereon and the end abdomen pleon. They have three sections to their body.

Pillbug Armadillidium Vulgare

They have three basic body parts the head which is fused to the first segment of the thorax the thorax the 7 segments of the thorax that are not fused to the head are called the pereon and the abdomen which is also called the pleon.

Pill bug anatomy. In the middle pereon they have seven overlapping plates. The pill bug has a total of 13 other sections called body segments. Pillbugs reproduce during the months of may through september.

Seven of the main body segments that comprise the pill bugs thorax each have one pair of walking or locomotion legs that are used primarily for mobility. Pillbugs have seven pairs of legs one pair for each segment of the thorax. The body of armadillidium vulgare is made up of a thorax known as the pereon with seven segments and an abdomen the pleon with uropods appendages arising from the last segment of the abdomen.

They are an abundant food source for insects and arachnids. The common pillbug is a harmless and delightful way to introduce children to the world of insects and though it goes by many different names insect isnt one of them. Armadillidium vulgare may reach a length of 18 millimetres 071 in and is capable of rolling into a ball when disturbed.

On their head they have eyes and antennae. The pill bug goes by many namesroly poly woodlouse armadillo bug potato bug but whatever you call it its a fascinating creatureor actually 4000 species of creature. Common pillbugs are oval shaped and somewhat flattened.

The circulatory system as in other arthropods the blood flows in sinuses or channels without definite walls. Artificial heating and the high thermal inertia of buildings also elevates backyard temperatures in the proximity of buildings. Most sow bugs and pill bugs have in addition trachea like infoldings in some of the exopodites.

Pillbugs are considered primitive creatures but they have an important role in the soil ecosystem. The nocturnal crustaceans have seven pairs of legs segmented sections like a lobsters tail and prefer humid environments. This ability along with its general appearance gives it the name pill bug and also creates the potential for confusion with pill millipedes such as glomeris marginata.

Around human habitation pillbugs can seek refuge from the winter cold in deep crevices at the edges of buildings in rubble piles and compost heaps. These next 6 body segments are referred to as the pill bugs abdomen and consist of even smaller body. Pill bugs are covered by a hard exoskeleton also called the cuticle made from chitin.

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