Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of I Heart Radio, Hey brain Stuff, Lauren Vogel bomb Here potato bugs, pillbugs, doodle bugs, roly polly's. They looked like a gray shrimp crossed with an armadillo, and they seem to have a different name everywhere they're found, though the scientific name for these armor
plated little creatures is Arma delitrium vulgaria. With twelve known varieties of roly polly bugs found in the United States alone, these tiny gray crustaceans inhabit the northern and central parts of the country, as well as many dark, damp places across the world. And yes, they aren't insects, but crustaceans
like crab and lobster. They're the only crustaceans that have adapted to living completely on land, though, like there're other crustacean cousins, they breathe through gills, so they have to keep to areas with plenty of rain or ground water, and even then preferred damp spaces where the sun can't dry them out. And all. You may not love having a cool dozen of these little critters pop out when
you move a flower potter check a crawl space. They don't bite, sting, or carry disease, and there is a very real benefit to having them in your backyard garden. It all starts with the microbes within the confines of the roly polys innerds. These microscopic gut flora and fauna help roly poles break down dead organic matter. Roly Pollies are detritivores, meaning they get their nutrients by eating stuff that other plants and animals leave behind decomposing plants, dead animals,
and poop. Scientists have shown the benefits of the roly polis diet on soil. They positively affect the ecosystem that they're in by increasing the mineral content of the soil, essentially turning the waste they eat into healthy soil. But it's not just what roly poly bugs add to the soil, it's what they take out too. It turns out that
these guys don't mind heavy metals. After studying the comp vision of their insides, scientists found that roly poly bugs can crystallize stuff like lead, cappium, and arsenic in their guts, both preventing these toxic materials from harming themselves and taking them out of the environment, meaning a construction site contaminated with heavy metals could effectively be cleaned by a bunch
of hungry roly poly bugs. Roly Polls will eat tender plant shoots if there's nothing else available, but it's not their preferred diet, and these bugs will also eat the eggs of some insects that are more inclined to eat gardens and crops, so they can be a great form of pest control and are sometimes used in organic farming. So if you are noticing a roly poly party taking place in your backyard, don't worry. These little guys are doing a lot of the heavy lifting involved in creating
the healthy soil that will help your garden thrive. Today's episode was written by Jeremy Glass and produced by Tyler Clang. For more this and lots of other curious topics, visit how stuff works dot com. Brainstuff is a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.