1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of I Heart Radio, Hey 2 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:12,200 Speaker 1: brain Stuff, Lauren Vogel bomb Here potato bugs, pillbugs, doodle bugs, 3 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:16,239 Speaker 1: roly polly's. They looked like a gray shrimp crossed with 4 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 1: an armadillo, and they seem to have a different name 5 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:21,680 Speaker 1: everywhere they're found, though the scientific name for these armor 6 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:26,599 Speaker 1: plated little creatures is Arma delitrium vulgaria. With twelve known 7 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: varieties of roly polly bugs found in the United States alone, 8 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:33,520 Speaker 1: these tiny gray crustaceans inhabit the northern and central parts 9 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:36,519 Speaker 1: of the country, as well as many dark, damp places 10 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 1: across the world. And yes, they aren't insects, but crustaceans 11 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 1: like crab and lobster. They're the only crustaceans that have 12 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:48,160 Speaker 1: adapted to living completely on land, though, like there're other 13 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 1: crustacean cousins, they breathe through gills, so they have to 14 00:00:51,400 --> 00:00:53,680 Speaker 1: keep to areas with plenty of rain or ground water, 15 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 1: and even then preferred damp spaces where the sun can't 16 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 1: dry them out. And all. You may not love having 17 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 1: a cool dozen of these little critters pop out when 18 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:06,840 Speaker 1: you move a flower potter check a crawl space. They 19 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:10,120 Speaker 1: don't bite, sting, or carry disease, and there is a 20 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: very real benefit to having them in your backyard garden. 21 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 1: It all starts with the microbes within the confines of 22 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 1: the roly polys innerds. These microscopic gut flora and fauna 23 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: help roly poles break down dead organic matter. Roly Pollies 24 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:29,480 Speaker 1: are detritivores, meaning they get their nutrients by eating stuff 25 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:34,040 Speaker 1: that other plants and animals leave behind decomposing plants, dead animals, 26 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 1: and poop. Scientists have shown the benefits of the roly 27 00:01:37,680 --> 00:01:41,720 Speaker 1: polis diet on soil. They positively affect the ecosystem that 28 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:44,639 Speaker 1: they're in by increasing the mineral content of the soil, 29 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 1: essentially turning the waste they eat into healthy soil. But 30 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:52,639 Speaker 1: it's not just what roly poly bugs add to the soil, 31 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 1: it's what they take out too. It turns out that 32 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: these guys don't mind heavy metals. After studying the comp 33 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 1: vision of their insides, scientists found that roly poly bugs 34 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 1: can crystallize stuff like lead, cappium, and arsenic in their guts, 35 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 1: both preventing these toxic materials from harming themselves and taking 36 00:02:12,360 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: them out of the environment, meaning a construction site contaminated 37 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:19,640 Speaker 1: with heavy metals could effectively be cleaned by a bunch 38 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:24,359 Speaker 1: of hungry roly poly bugs. Roly Polls will eat tender 39 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 1: plant shoots if there's nothing else available, but it's not 40 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:30,800 Speaker 1: their preferred diet, and these bugs will also eat the 41 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: eggs of some insects that are more inclined to eat 42 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:36,119 Speaker 1: gardens and crops, so they can be a great form 43 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: of pest control and are sometimes used in organic farming. 44 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:42,840 Speaker 1: So if you are noticing a roly poly party taking 45 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 1: place in your backyard, don't worry. These little guys are 46 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 1: doing a lot of the heavy lifting involved in creating 47 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:56,360 Speaker 1: the healthy soil that will help your garden thrive. Today's 48 00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 1: episode was written by Jeremy Glass and produced by Tyler Clang. 49 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: For more this and lots of other curious topics, visit 50 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:04,360 Speaker 1: how stuff works dot com. Brainstuff is a production of 51 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio. For more podcasts my heart Radio, visit 52 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:09,840 Speaker 1: the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 53 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:11,080 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.