# Pill bugs, taxonomy questions



## Androctonus_bic (Aug 19, 2007)

What are exacly pillbugs? I thought that they are Myriapods but now I don't know what I have to think? Answer as taxonomical as you can, please.:worship: 

And what happend whit isopods?

Cheers
Carles


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## Drachenjager (Aug 19, 2007)

Androctonus_bic said:


> What are exacly pillbugs? I thought that they are Myriapods but now I don't know what I have to think? Answer as taxonomical as you can, please.:worship:
> 
> And what happend whit isopods?
> 
> ...


There are pill millipedes and what i call pill bugs that are an isopod. 
and then sow bugs which are another kind of isopod ...
the giant tanzanian pill bugs are actually pill millipedes


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## driver (Aug 20, 2007)

any idea on a proper id for the big orange tanzanian pillbugs?


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## Androctonus_bic (Aug 21, 2007)

Some taxonomy table help to me a lot... but...thanks for all! I'll try to find some info...

Cheers
Carles


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## millipeter (Aug 22, 2007)

The big orange tanzanian pillMILLIPEDE is _Arthrosphaera cf. brandtii_ (Humbert, 1865). A lot of things were discussed a few weeks before.

Here is the systematic position of pillbugs and pillmillipedes:

Pillbug:
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Crustacea
Class: Malacostraca
Subclass: Eumalacostraca
Superorder: Peracarida
Order: Isopoda
Suborder: Oniscidea
Infraorder: Ligiamorpha
Family:Armadillidae

Pillmillipede:
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Myriapoda
Class: Diplopoda
Subclass: Chilognatha
Superorder: Oniscomorpha
Order: Glomerida + Spaerotheriida

Though both look quite similar at the first glance there are much differences between these, e.g. the segmentation, breathing organs, antenna and so on.


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## driver (Aug 25, 2007)

i haven't seen anything regarding the large green pills from madagascar. are they pillbugs or pill millipedes? i can't even find any pics, does anyone have any pictures or informative links regarding this species? whereexactly do these species fall in taxonomy?


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## millipeter (Aug 26, 2007)

The large green pills from madagascar are pill millipedes, _Sphaerotherium neptunus_, belonging to Sphaeroteriida, the giant pill millipedes. This species is big and beautiful, but this species feeds mainly on moss.


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## 8+) (Aug 27, 2007)

I ordered a couple of those giant green pills a few years ago. One was DOA and the other died within 24 hours. They were so incredible though! Too bad they are so hard to keep...


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## Ted (Aug 27, 2007)

the ones i used to keep were the Sphaerotherium hippocastaneum (Giant Malagasy Emerald Pill Millipedes)...and were larger than a mouse, easily.
i havent seen them offered anywhere..are these no longer around in the hobby?


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## driver (Aug 28, 2007)

i'm guessing due to the failure experienced by most people who've attempted keeping the big greenies they've simply lost the demand, or suppliers have just given up trying to sell them.


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