SOIL INSECTS


PILLBUGS AND SOWBUGS, several species
Description Picture Damage
  • not insects but crustaceans
  • size about 3/8 to 3/4 inch long when full grown
  • seven pair of legs, prominent antennae and two tail-like appendages
  • some are capable of rolling up into a ball

    • Photo credit: Extension Entomology, Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University
  • sowbugs and pillbugs are mainly nuisance pests
  • occasionally damage roots, seedlings, foliage and fruit which contact the soil
  • seldom damaging under field conditions
  • can cause severe damage in greenhouses



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    Last modified: March 31, 1998