Arcangeli's Pill Woodlouse Armadillidium arcangelii

Photo of Arcangeli's Pill Woodlouse (Armadillidium arcangelii)

(c) Leonardo Rapisarda, some rights reserved (CC BY)

OrderIsopods (Isopoda)
FamilyPill Woodlice (Armadillidiidae)
GenusPillbugs (Armadillidium)

Meet the ultimate escape artist — when threatened, these pill woodlice curl into a near-perfect ball, tucking their legs and antennae safely inside like tiny armored tanks. This "volvation" defense is so effective that they're often mistaken for pill millipedes, though they're actually crustaceans. One of 18 Armadillidium species worldwide, they're part of the diverse group known as roly-polies and pill bugs.

Think you can identify this one in the wild?

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