do u know anything about roly polys? i'm crocheting one right now and I would like a cool fact to show my friends along with it :3
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TODAY'S FACT IS
Did you know that Australiodillo Bifrons is a species of swarming isopod? When they gather to swarm, they group up in numbers up to 10000 individuals. Found in eastern Australia, they can cause problems in cereal crops just from the sheer number of isopods, but are usually detritivores.
Common Name: “isopod” is most commonly used to encompass all members of the order, but terrestrial species are commonly called “woodlice”, “pillbugs”, “rollie-pollies”, and various other names
*(I am not listing families as, as you can see above, it would take up too much space)
Anatomy: rigid, segmented exoskeleton; carapace is reduced to a "cephalic shield" covering only the head; two pairs of antennae; seven pairs of jointed limbs on the thorax, and five pairs of branching appendages on the abdomen that are used in respiration; females brood their young in a marsupium; typically flattened dorsoventrally (ie broader than they are deep), although many species deviate from this rule, particularly parasitic forms
Diet: some eat dead or decaying plant and animal matter, others are grazers or filter feeders, a few are predators, and some are internal or external parasites
Habitat: aquatic species live in benthic habitats in both freshwater and marine environments; terrestrial species live in cool, moist environments
Evolved in: Late Carboniferous
Do you have a favorite in Isopoda?
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Voting ended onAug 24, 2025
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Some species of isopod are able to roll themselves into a ball as a defense mechanism or to conserve moisture, particularly the terrestrial species of the family Armadillididae, the “pillbugs”.
The Baltic Isopod (Idotea balthica) is the first known underwater pollinator, and the first known animal to help algae reproduce. It is specifically a pollinator of the Irish Moss (Gracilaria gracilis) algae.
Woodlice (suborder Oniscidea) are one of the few lineages of crustacean to have transitioned into a fully terrestrial environment.
While some isopod species are kept purely as pets, some can also be used as an addition to bioactive terrariums, due to their ability to break down decaying organic materials.
The Giant Isopods (genus Bathynomus) (see gif above) are deep sea isopods that include the largest isopods in the world, including Bathynomus giganteus and kensleyi. These species reach a typical length between 19 and 36 cm (7.5 and 14.2 in), with the largest confirmed being around 50 cm (20 in) long.
Armadillidium peraccae, native to Greece and Italy. Juveniles start as a very faint blush pink that transitions into various shades of grey with slight pink or blue tones into adulthood. Hardy and not at all picky with enviromental conditions. One of my favorite isopod species visually.
mutant isopods are always a joy to find in the wild and this orange Armadillidium vulgare was no exception. although this was the first one i've managed to photograph, i've seen orange individuals in that area before, which means my odds of finding more are pretty good
fortunately when it comes to being handled this guy was a lot more agreeable than his porcellionid cousins, who would've launched themselves off my finger like rockets if i dared to touch them
