whats my bug
I have this bug in my house and I see the out side as well. They are usually under rocks and plant pots or in the hidden places like under a couch or chair. They have 6 legs on either side, 2 little hair-like spikes on it’s hind end, and anouther 2 anntenas on it’s head. They are always a grayish colour. These two pictures are the largist I have ever seen (aprox.1cm).
You have a terrestrial isopod commonly called a Pillbug, Sowbug or Rollie-Pollie. They are relatively benign, though they can get very numerous.
¶ Posted 14 November 2004 § ‡ ° Help please
Hello,
After the last hard rain 10 days ago, these bugs have been coming out every night, they look black, are about 1/4 inch long and jump around from out of the grass onto my porch. They seem to be attracted to light, because each morning I find hundreds of their little dead copper colored bodies all over my front and back porch. In the 2 years I’ve lived here, I’ve never seen them before. What are they?
Thanks very much from San Dimas, CA
Janet Boydell
Hi Janet,
You are being plagued by Lawn Shrimp, a colorful name for a type of terrestrial Amphipod. Terrestrial amphipods live on the surface (top 1/2 inch) of mulch and moist ground. After rains, large numbers of amphipods can migrate into garages or under the doors of houses. There they soon die their color changing from brown, green or black to red upon death. They migrate out of rain-soaked soil to drier areas where they usually end up dying. Most species are active at night. Here is a site with additional information.
Thank you very much!
Hi and thanks so much for getting back to me. By the way, your website is wonderful…my son thinks it’s so cool that you posted our question and then answered us. Very helpful and useful! I’ll pass it on.
Best to you,
Janet
¶ Posted 10 November 2004 § ‡ ° Bug with weird markings
It looks like pillbug or a sow bug, but what’s with the markings?
It is indeed an Isopod, one of the Sow Bugs, but I am unsure about the markings. Looks to be almost phosphorescent.
¶ Posted 11 August 2004 § ‡ ° Hello…nice and informative website. I had a bug in my bath tub this morning that I was trying to identify. It looks similar to another photo that someone took and you said there bug was a Crustacean. Is the bug I found the same thing?
Thanks,
Ryan
Yes, Ryan,
You have an isopod.
¶ Posted 08 June 2004 § ‡ ° Hey Bugman,
I found this bug in the house this morning. I live in Boise Idaho and I have never seen one of these before. It looks like a "Rolly-Polly", but was MUCH faster, and did not curl up into a tight ball. This is the only one I found. I tried to look it up on the internet and also in the National Audubon Society Field Guide with no luck. Can you help me out???
Thanks,
Ryan J
Boise ID.
Hi Ryan,
You are correct. It is a type of Isopod, a Crustacean, and is related to the common Pill Bugs you know as Rolly-Pollies. They generally do not do any damage unless they are very plentiful.
¶ Posted 03 June 2004 § ‡ ° Dear Bugman,
What is the scientific name for rollie pollies and what do they eat? Are the on the website?
Thanks. Mom Adams
Dear Mom Adams,
We just got a question about Pill Bugs or Sow Bugs, which are Isopods, not true insects. The common Pill Bug goes by the scientific name Armadillidium vulgare. They are omniverous and eat young and decaying plant material. We had not heard of the common name Rollie Pollie until our student Betina mentioned it. Thank you for reaffirming that local term.
¶ Posted 02 March 2004 § ‡ ° I live in the Northeast and I having a problem with these black bugs in my basement. I always thought they were called potato bugs but when I looked for a picture of potato bugs on the net, I realized that the bugs in my basement are something else. I would like to know what they are called. The are black. They have a shell-like back. They roll into a perfect ball when they are touched. They don’t bite. I use to play with them as a child. I have not seen them in the winter months. However, somehow, they find there way in my home when the weather breaks. Do you know if they have a name?
Dear Connie,
It sounds like you are describing Sow Bugs or Pill Bugs. These are not insects but Isopods, a group of Crustaceans. They are often numerous in damp places including basements and gardens. They are called Pill Bugs because of their habit of rolling into a ball. The Common Pill Bug, Armadillidium vulgare, is dark in color, often approaching black. They are omniverous, and feed on young and decaying plant material. Unless very numerous, they do not make significant damage. They have few predators because of a distasteful secretion, but a spider, the Sow Bug Killer, is a natural enemy. Here is a photo we just took in our garden.
¶ Posted 11 February 2004 § ‡ ° Dear WTB,
I encountered a different looking bug this morning, and have been trying to search the net for pictures, but have been unsuccessful, and was hoping you could help. The body of the spider was an oval-oblong shape and beige, or tan in color, and the head was small and red and the legs appeared to be coming out in between the head and body and they were also red in color. I thought it a little strange that the legs were not spread out along the body. I live in the Denver Co. area, if that helps. Any photos would be great too.
Thanks
K
Dear K,
That is the second letter today with the same spider. The other was from the UK. You saw a Sow Bug Killer, Dysdera crocota. They are one of the few predators that will eat sow bugs which have an unleasant taste. They sometimes bite people, but the bite is not serious. They are beneficial.
Thank you for your reply. Would you happen to have a photo of the sow bug
killer? I have tried looking for one, but cannot find one.
Thank You
K
Hi K,
I’ve enclosed the photo. Let us know if that was your spider.
Daniel,
Sorry for the delay.
That is the spider.
Thanks for your help.
¶ Posted 01 January 2000 § ‡ ° 
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