Are young pill bugs normally different colored than adults?

Stugy

Arachnolord
Joined
Apr 21, 2016
Messages
649
As the title says, are young pill bugs normally different colored than adults? I just caught about 5 oddly colored pill bugs near my school and I am wondering if they will or should stay that color (well the color will eventually start fading i'm guessing) when they mature. I know already that they can sexually mature early so I'm hoping the color is a trait and will not fade. I will post pictures when I can dig them up from their isolated deli cup :p.
 

WeightedAbyss75

Arachnoangel
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Messages
921
I believe there are some diseases associated with brightly-colored isopods. Some may look bright purple or orange (Might not be the right color, but generally the same jist). These pill bugs don't live very long because of it though. Pics help, but it sounds like pillbugs with that disease.
 

Stugy

Arachnolord
Joined
Apr 21, 2016
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649
Sadly they are too small for my camera to focus on them. I will try to find a picture on the internet that looks similar.
 

Stugy

Arachnolord
Joined
Apr 21, 2016
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649
First one by dalantech from DeviantArt
Second from some website I'll never use again. pill_bug_by_dalantech.jpg pillbug.jpg
These are NOT my pictures. I am using them because my camera cannot focus on my pill-bugs so I grabbed some pics off the internet that looked similar.
 

All About Arthropods

Arachnoknight
Joined
Dec 11, 2016
Messages
181
I find that most young pill bugs (A.vulgare) have a lot of brown coloration often with a number of green or yellow flecks. The brown coloration eventually fades away as they grow but they still can retain some of the green/yellow markings.
 

Hisserdude

Arachnoking
Joined
Apr 18, 2015
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2,453
Yeah, young pillbugs are often more pale colored than the older adults, usually a light tan.
 

Stugy

Arachnolord
Joined
Apr 21, 2016
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649
Well I still have the pill bugs and they've all molted at least once. They seem to have retained the yellowish color but their deli cup is filled with mold right now so I don't want to touch it until it runs out of stuff to consume.
 

SlugPod

Arachnoknight
Joined
Sep 28, 2015
Messages
193
Depending on the species, they can have some colour variation.
A. vulgare can often have yellow colouration to them.
I found some that have a lot of cream colour in them.
Some are solid grey.
Some of yellow flecks.
Others are a rusty colour (not bright red by any means).

I also have a bunch of baby A. vulgare at the moment, and they all show some colour variation as well.
They are a very soft pale colour for the most part, but some have some red, some have some yellow.
They're in my enclosure that has mostly yellow coloured A. vulgare as I want to work on achieving a solid yellow one eventually (will take lots of time and isolation of individuals).

So they do vary in colour, young are pale compared to adults.
 
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