General Description
Body oval shape with shiny, grey segments. Head with a pair of eyes. Pair of legs on each of the first seven body segments. Up to 2 cm long.
Biology
Pillbugs roll into a tight ball when disturbed. Although Australia has numerous native species, often the most familiar in Australia are those introduced from Europe. Pillbugs prefer damp environments, such as under stones and bark. They mostly feed on decaying vegetation but also eat fungi. Females brood eggs in a brood pouch below their body from which live young emerge. They are one of the few terrestrial crustaceans.
Distribution
Europe, North America. Mainland Australia and Tasmania.
Habitat
Under pots or garden plants, occasionally wandering in the open in areas with calcareous soils.
More Information
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Animal Type
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Animal SubType
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Brief Id
Oval body shape, segments, rolls into a ball when threatened.
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Colours
Black
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Habitats
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Diet
Herbivore
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Endemicity
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Conservation Statuses
CITES: Not listed, FFG Threatened List: Not listed, EPBC Act 1999: Not listed, IUCN Red List: Not listed
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Taxon Name
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Scientific Author
(Latreille, 1804)
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Common Name
Pillbug
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Phylum
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Subphylum
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Superclass
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Class
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Subclass
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Superorder
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Order
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Suborder
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Infraorder
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Superfamily
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Family
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Genus
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Species Name
vulgare