What subphylum does the common pill bug (roly poly) belong to? A) Hexapoda B) Crustacea C) Chelicerata D) Myriapoda
Answer (1)
The common pill bug, often called a roly poly, belongs to the subphylum Crustacea. In the animal kingdom, organisms are classified into a hierarchy that mirrors their evolutionary relationships. The pill bug is a part of the Arthropoda phylum, which comprises invertebrates with exoskeletons, segmented bodies, and jointed appendages.
Let's break down the options provided:
A) Hexapoda : This subphylum includes insects, which typically have three pairs of legs and three body segments. Pill bugs do not fall into this category.
B) Crustacea : This is the correct subphylum for the pill bug. Crustaceans typically have multiple body segments, combined in varying ways, and more than three pairs of legs. Pill bugs, though terrestrial, share notable characteristics with their aquatic crustacean relatives such as crabs and shrimp.
C) Chelicerata : This subphylum includes spiders, scorpions, and horseshoe crabs, which possess chelicerae (specialized appendages in front of the mouth). Pill bugs do not belong to this group.
D) Myriapoda : This includes millipedes and centipedes, which have long, segmented bodies with many legs, unlike pill bugs.
Hence, the correct answer is B) Crustacea . Pill bugs have adapted to life on land but still share many features with their marine crustacean cousins, which places them in the Crustacea subphylum.
