Giant Pill Millipede vs Madagascan Giant Pill Bug

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Giant Pill Millipede Madagascan Giant Pill Bug
Scientific Name Zephronia siamensis Zoosphaerium blandum
Order Sphaerotheriida Sphaerotheriida
Family Zephroniidae Arthrosphaeridae
Size 30-50 mm diameter when rolled 30-50 mm
Habitat Caves Forests
Diet Wood Feeders Herbivores
Regions Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia) Madagascar
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Giant Pill Millipede

A large pill millipede that can roll into a perfect sphere the size of a golf ball when threatened. The body is dark brown to black with smooth, overlapping plates.

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Did You Know?

When rolled into a ball, the armor plates lock together so tightly that most predators cannot pry them apart.

Madagascan Giant Pill Bug

A giant pill millipede from Madagascar that rolls into a smooth, hard ball when disturbed. They play an important role in decomposition on the forest floor.

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Did You Know?

When rolled into a ball, even predators with strong jaws struggle to pry them open.