The Science of Fun-Life in the Lab

Life in the Lab-Using Micro Organisms

We used bill bugs for this observation.....

Many people mistakenly think that pillbugs are insects but in fact, pillbugs are crustaceans as are lobsters, shrimp, and crabs. Both insects and crustaceans are classified in a larger group known as the arthropods. Arthropods are animals with exoskeletons and jointed appendages.

Rootbeer gathering four Pillbugs. 

Pillbugs are classified in a group of crustaceans known as isopods. There are about 4000 species of identified isopods. Most isopods live in marine habitats, some live in fresh water, and a few like pillbugs live on land.

Rootbeer placing the bugs under the microscope for observation.

Pillbugs are 5 to 15 mm long and have three body regions; head, thorax, and abdomen. Most of the pillbug's exoskeleton consists of shield-like plates. The body is flattened laterally. Each of the seven pairs of legs is identical. There is one pair of antenna and one pair of compound eyes.

Observing the activity and body parts of our bill bugs.

After our observation we touched them with the soft part of a paint brush to see which ones were Rollers or Hikers....Roller is a term used to describe a pillbug that rolls up in a ball. Hiker is a term used to describe a pillbug that runs when disturbed. All of ours were Hikers. 

Futher experimentation also showed that they prefer dark places over light.

http://outreach.mcb.harvard.edu/teachers/Summer05/ElizabethMick/PillbugBehavior.pdf