Rockport Texas - The History, Legends & Lore 1st Printing | Page 31

PILL BUGS (sp. Armadillium vulgare) Also called: Roly Poly, Wood Louse, Armadillo Bug and Potato Bug Back before children had fancy toys to play with, the Pill Bug was a childhood favorite. LORE: A Pill Bug breathes through gills, but will die if submerged in water. When a Pill Bug goes on the defensive, it rolls up into a little pill about the size of sweet pea. A sick Pill Bug will turn a bright blue color. CRICKETS (Family: Gryllidae) Here in Rockport, Crickets are famous for getting into everything. If someone told me they found a Cricket inside of a Lightbulb, it would not suprise me. FOREST TENT CATERPILLAR (Family: Gryllidae) About the same time we see the Wooly Worms, we begin seeing Forest Tent Caterpillars. They have to survive no less than 5 development stages before they can spin their cocoons and become moths. LORE: Female Crickets choose their mates based on the performance and tone of the male Cricket’s song. 30