Page 153 - Florida Pest Control Examinations

1.Antenna- segmented 6.Thorax- shell SOW BUG
2.Eyes- 7.Petiole- none
3.Head- 8.Abdomen- humpback 8
4.Legs- 7 pair 9.Color- dark gray 1
5.Wings- none 10.Other- pill bugs can turn into a
ball, sow bugs can’t.
Life Cycle
They have a three-stage life cycle - egg, young, and adult. The eggs are deposited
inside bodies of females in a pouch-like structure known as marsupium. Developing
in one to two months, they emerge alive in three to four months to adulthood. 4
They molt once every two weeks until twenty weeks old. There are one to three
generations per year and adults live about two years.
Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR
SOW BUGS / PILL BUGS
Actual size 3/8”
Pillbugs and sowbugs are not insects. They are arthropods belonging to class crustacea, along with
crabs, shrimps and lobsters. You could think of them as “land lobsters”. Although most crustaceans
live in water, sow and pill bugs live on land in moist environments. They resemble one another in
appearance. Pill bugs roll themselves into a tight ball when disturbed, whereas sow bugs are able to roll
themselves up only about half way into a U-shaped form.

They range in size from 1/4 to 1/2 inch long and are slate grey. Sowbugs also have two tail-like features
at the rear of the body. They are often called potato bugs. They don’t sting or bite and usually don’t
contaminate anything. They are common around foundations where the grass or plants grow too close
to the building and under objects that lay on top of the damp ground.

Breathing by means of gills, they must live in a very damp, moist environment outside. They do not like
hot sun or clear summer days. Sowbugs and pillbugs will not damage ornamentals, but can do a little
damage to new roots and tender stems of growing plants. They are more of a nuisance than a problem.

1.Antenna- 14 segmented or more 6.Thorax- elongated, flatten, wormlike CENTIPEDE
2.Eyes- numerous ocelli 7.Petiole- none 1
3.Head- slightly larger than body 8.Abdomen- segmented, forceps at end
4.Legs- 1 pair per segment 9.Color- reddish brown 3 4
5.Wings- none 10.Other
Life Cycle
The female lays between 20 and 300 eggs. Larvae hatch from the eggs,
and go through several larval instars where they keep increasing their 2 6
number of legs and/or segments. After they reach the full number, they
go through four more adolescent stages to reach maturity, which may
take a couple of years. Overall, they may live for 5-6 years or more.
Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR
CENTIPEDES Actual size 1 1/2”
Centipedes vary greatly in length, from 1/4th to 6 inches. The House centipede is 1-1½ inches in
length, with 15 pairs of long legs. They prefer areas high in moisture, and are most active at night.
Some species can inflict a painful bite, injecting venom from the claws. Usually considered a beneficial
insect, but can invade homes seeking out its prey.

MILLIPEDES
Millipedes usually live in and around damp areas, such as garden mulch and under rocks, bark, and
other debris. They are mostly nocturnal, and they eat the damp material they live around. During cold
weather, millipedes actually burrow into the ground to survive. They also molt as they grow, adding
legged segments to the body each time. Two sets of legs are found on each segment. The many spe-
cies vary widely in length, and some varieties can reach two to three inches in size. Since millipedes
actually eat decaying matter, they are not a plant pest, and are actually helpful to the soil. Under ideal
conditions they may develop annoying swarms, however. Millipedes have a unique defense mecha-
nism. They wind up into a coil, and emit repugnant fluids and odors. Some can even emit small amounts
of toxic cyanide fumes.

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