Presentation is loading. Please wait.

Presentation is loading. Please wait.

Pill Bugs Perfect little pests.

Similar presentations


Presentation on theme: "Pill Bugs Perfect little pests."— Presentation transcript:

1 Pill Bugs Perfect little pests

2 habitat Pill bugs live in wet locations. They are found under damp objects or in organic garbage. If pill bugs enter a building, they will often dry out and die.

3 appearance Pill bugs have 7 pairs of legs, 2 antennae and a hard exoskeleton. Like all arthropods, pillbugs grow by molting a hard exoskeleton. First, the back half of its exoskeleton splits away and slides off. A few days later, the pillbug sheds the front section. If you find a pillbug that's gray or brown on one end, and pink on the other, it's in the middle of molting.

4 protection Pillbugs curl into tight balls when threatened. Most kids have poked a pillbug to watch it roll up into a tight ball. In fact, many people call them roly polies for just this reason.

5 Eating habits Pillbugs eat dead and decaying plants and their own poop! Yes indeed, pillbugs munch on lots of poop, including their own! Each time a pillbug poops, it loses a little copper, an essential element it needs to live. In order to recycle this precious resource, the pillbug will eat its own poop!

6 Reproduction Pillbug mothers carry their eggs in a pouch. Like crabs and other crustaceans, pillbugs tote their eggs around with them. Overlapping plates on their body form a special pouch, called a marsupium, on the pillbug's underside. Upon hatching, the tiny baby pillbugs remain in the pouch for several days before leaving to explore the world on their own.

7 Interesting facts Pillbugs breathe through gills. Like their marine cousins, terrestrial pillbugs use gill-like structures to breathe. They require moist environments to live, but cannot survive being submerged in water. Sick pillbugs turn bright blue. Like other animals, pillbugs can get sick. If you find a pillbug that looks bright blue or purple, it's a sign of a virus.


Download ppt "Pill Bugs Perfect little pests."

Similar presentations


Ads by Google