this post was submitted on 06 Dec 2024
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Science Memes

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[–] Corno@lemm.ee 42 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)
[–] voracitude@lemmy.world 17 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

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

[–] Honytawk@lemmy.zip 9 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

They piss in our beds! grrr

[–] SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 2 weeks ago

"I swear, it was these bugs!"

[–] Robust_Mirror@aussie.zone 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

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

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

[–] voracitude@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks 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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[–] jabathekek@sopuli.xyz 39 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

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

[–] ReplicantBatty@lemmy.one 79 points 3 weeks ago (8 children)

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

[–] TwoBeeSan@lemmy.world 39 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

They roly and they poly. No better names exist.

[–] SadSadSatellite@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 3 weeks ago

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

[–] lemmyng@lemmy.ca 18 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I'll accept carpet shrimp.

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[–] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 3 points 2 weeks 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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[–] smeg 15 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

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

[–] jabathekek@sopuli.xyz 15 points 3 weeks ago

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

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 7 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks 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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[–] protist@mander.xyz 33 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

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

[–] Metostopholes@midwest.social 23 points 3 weeks ago

Aww, tiny armadillos!

[–] Ephera@lemmy.ml 19 points 2 weeks ago

Armadillidae

Not to be confused with Armadillidiidae.

🙃

[–] TheEEEdiot@sh.itjust.works 29 points 3 weeks ago

It's a Roly Poly btw.

[–] Heavybell@lemmy.world 25 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

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

[–] Ephera@lemmy.ml 23 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

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

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

[–] ThoGot@lemm.ee 7 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Crustaceans are basically ocean insects, fite me

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[–] mindbleach@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] Syd@lemm.ee 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

This would have made the Spanish version of A Bugs Life interesting.

[–] mindbleach@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 weeks ago

... on consideration, it is the same joke.

[–] OlPatchy2Eyes@slrpnk.net 20 points 2 weeks ago

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

[–] Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone 16 points 2 weeks 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.

[–] Corno@lemm.ee 25 points 2 weeks 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!

[–] zalgotext@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 weeks ago

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

[–] Glimpythegoblin@lemm.ee 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yeah they smell like stinky wood/almonds to me.

[–] Boxscape@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 2 weeks ago

stinky wood/almonds

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

[–] Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

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

[–] WhipperSnapper@lemmy.ml 10 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks 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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[–] Catoblepas@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 2 weeks ago (3 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.

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[–] Fjern@lemmy.world 16 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 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

[–] tetris11@lemmy.ml 10 points 2 weeks ago

note to self: don't buy coffee in Norway

[–] mindbleach@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 weeks ago

Mold oxen

Because of the antennae! That's adorable.

[–] Sam_Bass@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)
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[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
[–] Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 2 weeks ago

They’re good lil guys

[–] Nakoichi@hexbear.net 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Interesting. Where I live this is what we call a potato bug

[–] ReplicantBatty@lemmy.one 8 points 3 weeks ago

We had those where I grew up to, our chickens would go absolutely bonkers when we would feed them one. One of them actually learned to come to me when I called because she knew it meant delicious bugs

[–] Robust_Mirror@aussie.zone 6 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

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

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[–] TastyWheat@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago

Forbidden boba

[–] TheWolfOfSouthEnd@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 2 weeks ago

My MIL calls them Brick Beetles…cause every time you lift a brick up there one under it. Partner was 30 before she found out that’s not their real name.

[–] RebekahWSD@lemmy.world 4 points 2 weeks 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

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.

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