this post was submitted on 06 Dec 2024
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Science Memes

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[–] [email protected] 39 points 1 month ago (2 children)
[–] voracitude 17 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Man, what the fuck did the roly polys do the the Netherlands?!

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

They piss in our beds! grrr

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

"I swear, it was these bugs!"

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

https://thimsternisse.com/healing-magic/

Apparently they fed them to kids as a cure for wetting the bed.

[–] voracitude 3 points 1 month ago

Yeah fair, I'd have a bit of anger too if I'd been force-fed woodlice as a child.

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[–] [email protected] 38 points 1 month ago (4 children)

What's with all these weird names for a pill bug.

[–] [email protected] 76 points 1 month ago (4 children)

It's called a roly-poly and I will tolerate no disagreement, good day to you

[–] TwoBeeSan 39 points 1 month ago (1 children)

They roly and they poly. No better names exist.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 month ago

I would've been with you until I saw Grumper Pig.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I'll accept carpet shrimp.

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[–] AngryCommieKender 3 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Re: your username: Is a Replicant Batty Coda just a normal Batty Coda? He's already a cyborg with crappy/ intermittent reception.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] JackFrostNCola 3 points 1 month ago
[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 month ago (2 children)

This is the first time I've heard anyone call them anything other than a woodlouse

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 month ago

You must be referring to the Woodlouse Hunter which hunts... *checks notes ...Granny Grunters.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

I only ever called them woodlouses when I learned that name as a teenager because everyone here always called them "roly-polies" or "potato bugs."

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[–] [email protected] 30 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Their family name is Armadillidae (arm-a-dill-a-dee) which also just sounds silly

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 month ago

Aww, tiny armadillos!

[–] [email protected] 16 points 1 month ago

Armadillidae

Not to be confused with Armadillidiidae.

🙃

[–] [email protected] 29 points 1 month ago

It's a Roly Poly btw.

[–] Heavybell 24 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Probably the cutest insect, and they do us no harm. Unshocking they have a collection of amusing names.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Apparently, they're not actually insects, but rather crustaceans.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodlouse

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Crustaceans are basically ocean insects, fite me

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[–] Heavybell 2 points 1 month ago

That's actually not shocking either! Nice, thanks for the info :)

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 month ago

It's because they roll up into a cute little ball and it tickles us in a way nothing else does

[–] Fjern 15 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Norwegian, a loved one goes by many names..

Melkedyr: Milk bugs

Benkebitere: Bench biters

Kaffetroll: Coffee trolls

Munkebiller: Monk beetles

Kaffelus: Coffee lice

Munkelus: Monk lice

Moldokser: Mold oxen

Kaffedyr: Coffee bugs

Tusselus: Goblin lice

Paddelus: Toad lice

Potetroll: Potato trolls

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago

note to self: don't buy coffee in Norway

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 month ago (4 children)

This is a weird question but everyone else could smell these, right? Like a weird bitter, musty smell. That post about people smelling ants a while back made me wonder what other bugs not all people smell.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 month ago (1 children)

They excrete ammonia through their exoskeleton because they don't actually pee! I've only noticed a smell from them when they're in large groups. They may be a bit smelly, and a lot of people mislabel them as insects, but they're actually terrestrial isopods and are related to crabs and shrimps!

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago

Welp, that explains why the Netherlands calls these bugs "bedpissers"

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Yeah they smell like stinky wood/almonds to me.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

stinky wood/almonds

Isn't almonds also the scent reported by those genetically-equipped to smell cyanide?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Not me! Do you smell ants? I think it’s a genetic trait.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Certain ants are pretty distinct. Thatch ants spray formic acid as a defense, and will have a sour smell (and taste, or so I've been told). Odoriferous house ants are named so for obvious reason, and smell (to me) like pen ink. Assuming they taste terrible, but I dunno anyone who's tasted one.

Also, for what it's worth, my entomologist father refers to the thread's subject as "sow bugs", so that's how I know them, but pill bugs and rolly polly are common here.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I’ve never noticed an ant smell, if I had to guess I’d assume it’s some different chemical I’m picking up on from the pill bugs.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I think so! I love them but I haven’t smelled them. What’s your stance on cilantro? I love genetic smell/taste traits.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

I’m a soap-taster, unfortunately, but it smells really good to me! I just wish it tasted like it smelled

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

I don’t think it is, but I wonder if it’s related?! Neat!

I wish it tasted to you like it does to me :c I LOVE cilantro!

[–] cholesterol 2 points 1 month ago

Doesn't ring a bell. Earwigs have a distinct smell, though.

[–] Sam_Bass 8 points 1 month ago (2 children)
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[–] SpaceNoodle 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

They’re good lil guys

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Me in Australia: Now that's a real Butchy boy.

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[–] TastyWheat 5 points 1 month ago

Forbidden boba

[–] RebekahWSD 4 points 1 month ago

I was taught they were called pill bugs. Although I knew them as also roly polys. My mother called them pill bugs, the other kids called them roly polys.

She told me it was an east coast versus west coast name and clearly is more "every group of people had decided they wanted to name this thing themselves" XD

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago

I mean I have a pair of aquatic sowbugs I've been keeping in an empty yogurt cup. They look like regular sowbugs but they're underwater, hence aquatic sowbug.

[–] DragonsInARoom 2 points 1 month ago

It does have a hard back

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

hey Smooth Randy

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