Roly Polies Came From the Sea to Conquer the Earth | Deep Look

Pill bugs. Doodle bugs. Potato bugs. Wood Shrimp. Whatever you call them, there’s something less creepy about these critters than other insects. Maybe it’s because they’re not insects at all.

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With winter rains, Bay Area pill bugs are out in force. Fortunately, they’re one of our most beloved “bugs.” Pill bugs. Doodle bugs. Potato bugs. Wood Shrimp. Whatever you call them, there’s something less creepy about these critters than other insects. Maybe it’s because they’re not insects at all.

Pill bugs are more closely related to a shrimp and lobsters than crickets or butterflies. Their ancestors lived in the sea, but ancient pill bugs crawled out millions of years ago to carve a life for themselves on dry land.

You can see the evidence if you take a close look at them, so that’s exactly what we did for this episode of Deep Look, an ultra-high definition wildlife video series produced by KQED and PBS DIgital Studios.

“Kids love them,” said Jonathan Wright, a professor of biology at Pomona College who studies the charismatic creepy-crawlies. After all, who hasn’t delighted as a youth in annoying a pill bug until it defensively curls up into a little armored ball?

Some adventurous foragers even eat pill bugs. Their flavor is said to resemble other crustaceans, earning pill bugs the moniker “wood shrimp”.

“I personally haven’t tasted one,” said Wright, “but I’ve spoken to people that have. They didn’t get a particularly high approval rating. Pill bugs have a lot of soil in their gut.”

They may not be ready to replace shrimp as an appetizer, but according to Wright, the evidence of the pill bug’s evolutionary lineage lies underneath its shell.

--- What are pill bugs related to?

Pill bugs are terrestrial crustaceans. They’re more closely related to marine creatures like lobsters and shrimp than crickets or other insects.

--- If pill bugs have gills, can they survive underwater?

Most pill bugs will drown within a few hours if submerged because their pleopod gills have become better at removing oxygen from air and less good at removing oxygen from water

--- Why do pill bugs roll into a ball?

Pill bugs roll into a ball to protect themselves from potential predators. They will also roll up, a process called conglobation, to keep from drying out if they don’t have access to enough moisture.

--- What do pill bugs eat?

Pill bugs mostly eat decaying plant matter but also consume fungus, algae and lichens.

---+ Read the entire article on KQED Science:

---+ For more information:

Respiratory physiology of the Oniscidea: Aerobic capacity and the significance of pleopodal lungs. Jonathan C. Wright and Kevin Ting

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KQED, an NPR and PBS affiliate in San Francisco, CA, serves Northern California and beyond with a public-supported alternative to commercial TV, Radio and web media.

Funding for Deep Look is provided in part by PBS Digital Studios and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Deep Look is a project of KQED Science, which is also supported by HopeLab, the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, the Dirk and Charlene Kabcenell Foundation, the Vadasz Family Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Smart Family Foundation and the members of KQED.
#deeplook #pillbug #isopod

[chapmanpagel]

I mean with a name like Rollie pollies it's kinda hard to be scared

[ruddgrennen]

The fact that they are crustaceans makes me look at them so much differently than before

[Jillybean]

I love pill bugs. They hold a special place in my heart, as I used to go hunting for these guys in gardens when I was little. I grossed out my mom a lot with these little buggers. XD

[paularivera]

My childhood bugs

1. Rolie pollies

2. Fire flies

3. Lady bugs

4. Worms

[joaquinolvera]

Woah, woah! You dont eat them. They are friends. You dont eat friends.

[metermaide]

these lil guys are so adorable, as a child i used to let them crawl around on my fingertip for a few mins, and then i put them back where i found them.

[NewMessage]

This series always manages to make me smile.

[sodaPapa]

I use to call them Rollie Pollie Ollies but for now on I shall call them *LaNd ShRiMp*

[gamewrecker]

The only creature I trust more than ladybugs-

[shiba_milca]

Yo, this is one of the MOST WHOLESOME comment sections I have EVER SEEN i love this channel's fandom

[GregoryTheGrster]

As a kid, I always appreciated how docile, gentle, and friendly these little bugs were. They weren't interested in stinging you, or biting you, sucking your blood, or flying up your nose. Their little legs felt so good when I let them walk on my arm!

[cornkopp]

Man you guys really show me how amazing the world around me is. This isn't some far off exotic animal, it's right here in my back yard. That's so cool

[deptonebunthole]

tbh i always treat rollies better than other lil creepers

[deondrexk]

This is probably one of the only bugs I'm not creeped or afraid of because of how cute and harmless they are

[andrewjaramillo]

Why was it so universally fun to touch them as a child so you could watch them roll up into a little ball? All kids loved it!

[herrscherofsweets]

Deer : wow i love being land animals
Human : me too
Pill bugs : *Shouting from afar* IM ALOMST THERE

[regularcookie]

All my Knowledge came from
School:10%
Youtube and Google:90%

[raysstuff]

I always thought these were cute little crustaceans

[thegamingalberto]

My dad used to tell me this every time we went out fishing

I used to collect them calling them bugs

But Dad always said “let me tell you something fun and mind blowing, tho are not just bugs they are more like the crabs you see in the water”

I just couldn’t believe that jaja

But here I am now

Thanks guys
Love your videos

[xKarma_]

We can’t be friends if you call them other than rolly polly