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Pillbug, Sow Bug, Isopod
Sowbugs and pillbugs are the only two crustaceans that have adapted themselves entirely to land. They actually have gills instead of a trachea (insects lungs) with which they breath. They are also related to snails and slugs.
Sowbugs are virtually the same as pillbugs but have a wider body and cannot roll themselves into a ball. Sowbugs have two appendages that protrude from the rear of the body. They have oval bodies which have 7 overlapping plates, as well as 7 pairs of legs. Head and abdomen are small compared to rest of body and they can reach 3/4 inch in length. Pillbugs can roll up into a tight ball.
Both are scavengers which feed on decaying organic matter and can injure young plants. They like moist locations and are found under objects on the damp ground, as well as under vegetable debris of all kind. They may bury themselves several inches into the soil and are active mostly at night.
Sowbugs and pillbugs require about a year to become fully grown. Most breeding occurs in the spring, but may occur throughout the year. One to three broods are produced yearly with 25 to 200 young per brood. The female carries the young in a brood pouch underneath her body. The young remain in the pouch for 1 or 2 months after hatching. The life span is about 2 or 3 years.
Control:
Pillbugs and sowbugs are best controlled by eliminating the moist environment that initially attracts them. Piles of organic matter, dense ground cover near foundations, or ground level windows, boards, stones, flower pots, firewood, and other materials resting on the ground, serve as food sources, and harborage areas for pillbugs and sowbugs and they should be removed or modified to reduce the pillbug or sowbug population.
Entry into building should be prevented by sealing and caulking gaps around siding, windows, doors, pipes, wires, etc. Large numbers of these structure-invading pests are easily controlled by vacuuming and discarding the collected material. Unfinished basements and crawlspaces should be well-ventilated to reduce moisture which is attractive to these pests.
Registered pesticides for Sowbug and Pillbug control vary from state to state.
Links:
Isopod, Pillbug, Sow Bug Information
Have a Sowbug or Pillbug control question?
Post it on IPCO message board.
What's Bugging the Sun Cities
Windscorpion
Windscorpions, sometimes called sun spiders or solpugids. The body is as much as an inch and a half long, with a pair of heavy pinchers. Windscorpions get the name from their speed and general resemblance to scorpions. They subdue their prey with ther pinchers, which lack poison glands.
Source: Insects of the Southwest
Varied Carpet beetle
Adult carpet beetles are about an eighth of an inch long, and round in appearance. The backs of the insects have much the same color scheme as the larvae. The larvae have small, hairy, soft bodies about a quarter inch long, depending on the instar. The larvae feed on a wide variety of foods, including carpets, furs, woolens, skins, stuffed animals, leather, feathers, silk and many plant products. The adults feed on nothing except pollen and nectar from flowers outside.
In spring and early summer, the adult will lay up to a hundred eggs, usually cemented to the product, or on furs,...
Tarantulas
The Desert Tarantula (Aphonopelma chalcodes)
This is our office mascot, she’s about 9 years old.
Tarantulas are harmless to humans and can be trained as pets.
For details about Tarantulas visit Desert USA.
Syrphid Fly or Flower Fly
Springtails
Springtails are minute insects without wings in the Order Collembola.
They occur in large numbers in moist soil and are found in homes with high humidity, organic debris, or mold.
Homeowners sometimes discover these insects in large numbers in swimming pools, potted plants, or in moist soil and mulch.
They feed on decaying, damp vegetation causing organic material
and other nutrients to return to the soil which are later used by plants. Occasionally, springtails attack young seedling and may damage
the roots and stems. 650 species in North America. Worldwide,...
Pillbug, Sow Bug, Isopod
Sowbugs and pillbugs are the only two crustaceans that have adapted themselves entirely to land. They actually have gills instead of a trachea (insects lungs) with which they breath.
They are also related to snails and slugs.
Sowbugs are virtually the same as pillbugs but have a wider body and cannot roll themselves into a ball. Sowbugs have two appendages that protrude from the rear of the body. They have oval bodies which have 7 overlapping plates, as well as 7 pairs of legs. Head...
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