A genus of pill bugs or wood lice (terrestrial crustaceans) characterized by their ability to roll into a defensive ball.
From New Latin, combining 'armadillo' + the genus suffix '-ium.' Named in the 18th century by naturalists who noticed the similarity in armor-like shells between these crustaceans and actual armadillos.
Armadillidium vulgaris (the common pill bug) can be found on every continent now because humans transported it accidentally in soil and potted plants—making it one of the most successful armored animals on Earth.
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