# Pillbug (*Armadillidium vulgare*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/pillbug  
Data as of: 2026-11-13

The pillbug (Armadillidium vulgare) is a crustacean in the family Armadillidiidae, part of the order Isopoda. It is classified in the suborder Oniscidea, the class Malacostraca and the phylum Arthropoda, within the kingdom Animalia. Other English names for the pillbug include Slater, Sow bug, Roly-poly, Doodle bug and Potato bug. Its scientific name carries the authority (Latreille, 1804), and the Catalogue of Life lists it as a living, not extinct, species.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Introduced range

The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species lists it as introduced in 5 countries, and flagged as invasive in 1 of them. Introduced: Canary Islands, Japan, South Africa, Spain, United States. Invasive: Canary Islands. Source: https://griis.org/ (CC BY 4.0).

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Arthropoda
- class: Malacostraca
- order: Isopoda
- family: Armadillidiidae
- genus: Armadillidium
- species: *Armadillidium vulgare* (Latreille, 1804)

Synonyms: *Armadillidium affine*, *Armadillidium armeniensis*, *Armadillidium brevicaudatum*, *Armadillidium cinereum*, *Armadillidium commutatum*, *Armadillidium decipiens*, *Armadillidium gallicum*, *Armadillidium nitidulus*, *Armadillidium oliveti*, *Armadillidium pilulare*, *Armadillidium schellenbergi*, *Armadillidium sorattinum*, *Armadillidium subdentatum*, *Armadillidium triviale*, *Armadillidium variegatum*, *Armadillidium vulgare rufobrunneus*, *Armadillidium vulgare var. rubra*, *Armadillidium vulgare var. rufobrunneus*, *Armadillo ater*, *Armadillo convexus*, *Armadillo marmoreus*, *Armadillo pilularis*, *Armadillo pustulatus*, *Armadillo trivialis*, *Armadillo variegatus*, *Armadillo vulgaris*, *Oniscus cinereus*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is a pillbug?

The pillbug is a crustacean. It belongs to the order Isopoda and the class Malacostraca.

### What is the scientific name of the pillbug?

The scientific name of the pillbug is Armadillidium vulgare, in the genus Armadillidium.

### What family does the pillbug belong to?

The pillbug belongs to the family Armadillidiidae, within the suborder Oniscidea.

### What other names does the pillbug have?

The pillbug is also called Slater, Sow bug, Roly-poly, Doodle bug and Potato bug.

### Who named the pillbug and when?

The authority for Armadillidium vulgare is written as (Latreille, 1804).

### Is the pillbug extinct?

No, the pillbug is a living species, not extinct, according to the Catalogue of Life.

### Is the pillbug an invasive species?

In some places. The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species flags the pillbug as invasive in 1 country: Canary Islands. It lists it as introduced in 5 in all.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (GRIIS)](https://griis.org/), CC BY 4.0, 2026-11-13. Pagad, S., Genovesi, P., Carnevali, L., Schigel, D. & McGeoch, M.A. (2018) Introducing the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species. Scientific Data 5: 170202. https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2017.202. Country checklists published through GBIF by the IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group.
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Pillbug (Armadillidium vulgare). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/pillbug