Odd Little Fact

20 years ago

Pill bugs - you know - the little bugs that roll up into balls - are not insects. They are little crustaceans, related to barnacles and lobsters and shrimp. You know how science books talk about millions of years ago creatures left the ocean for land. Well one of those creatures was pill bugs. A lot of their relatives ended up in freshwater ponds and streams, but apparently pill bugs found leaves quite tasty and stayed on land where they turn leaves and other waste material into soil. Who knew?

The oddest of odd little facts about them is "at the turn of the century,... hunting them enjoyed a considerable vogue among the clergy." Really, who knew?

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Comments (5)

eddie_ga_7a
20 years ago
Here's a useful fact I learned late in life: cornus florida (dogwood) by it's name seems to imply that it is from Florida but the truth is florida is Latin for "lots of flowers"
"flora" = flowers, "da" = lots of. Also cercis canadensis (redbud) does not mean it is from Canada, the "canadensis" is a color like Canadian red.
pam_3
20 years ago
Sugarhill, I can't help wondering what the clergymen did with their quarry once they were captured. :)
Pam
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sugarhill
Original Author
20 years ago
Pam, I have no idea. The quote I listed was the entire reference to pill bugs and clergy. Although lots of images spring to mind, I'm going to guess taxonomy. Even that begs the question of why the clergy would be interested in pill bug taxonomy. As I said in the title - odd little fact.
vroomp
20 years ago
Maybe they taste like shrimp? Try some and let us know would ya.
sugarhill
Original Author
20 years ago
Pill bug jambalaya? Ick, ick ick. Will bring some to the spring plant swap.