Tropical and Southern Pillbugs

Armadillidae

Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Crustacea
Class: Malacostraca
Superorder: Peracarida
Order: Isopoda
Suborder: Oniscidea
Infraorder: Holoverticata
Family: Armadillidae

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Armadillidae: //ˌɑːr.məˈdɪlɪdiː//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

Venezillo microphthalmus 38300827 by Scott Loarie. Used under a CC0 license.

Venezillo parvus by Andy Murray. Used under a CC BY-SA 2.0 license.

Venezillo parvus 56999351 by Richard Stovall. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Sphaerillo boninensis (10.3897-zookeys.923.26018) Figure 4 by Karasawa S (2020) Sphaerillo boninensis Nunomura, 1990 (Crustacea, Isopoda, Oniscidea) is a junior synonym of a pantropical species, Venezillo parvus (Budde-Lund, 1885). ZooKeys 923: 1-14. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.923.26018. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Venezillo parvus 65948480 by Richard Stovall. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Venezillo parvus 59965812 by Jesse Rorabaugh. Used under a CC0 license.

Summary

Armadillidae is a family of woodlice, commonly known as tropical and southern pillbugs, comprising around 80 genera and 700 species, making it one of the most diversified families within Isopoda. Most armadillids can roll into a ball, a characteristic known as conglobation, although some have lost this ability.

Physical Characteristics

Armadillidae generally have a strongly convex body shape, which can range from shallowly convex to strongly rounded. They possess an hourglass-shaped telson, differentiating them from members of the family Armadillidiidae, which have a trapezoidal telson.

Identification Tips

One notable identification tip is to observe the body shape; armadillids can enroll into a sphere (conglobate), unlike some related species that may have lost this ability. Additionally, the antennae of armadillids are fully enclosed within the sphere when they conglobate.

Habitat

Species of Armadillidae occur in various habitats including forests, savannas, and arid regions.

Distribution

Armadillids are native to the Afrotropics, Asia, Australia, the Neotropics, and the Mediterranean region of Europe. There are a few poorly-known species in North America north of Mexico, and some species have been introduced in various regions.

Evolution

The family Armadillidae was established by German naturalist Johann Friedrich von Brandt in 1831. The earliest named genus in this family is Armadillo, first described by André Marie Constant Duméril in 1816. Karl Wilhelm Verhoeff described nearly a quarter of the currently recognized genera (17).

Similar Taxa

Armadillidiidae

Misconceptions

Some may confuse armadillids with non-native species or other woodlice families that do not have conglobation abilities.