Pill millipede (English spelling)

Japanese: タマヤスデ - たまやすで（英語表記）pill millipede

A general term for arthropods belonging to the Glomeridae family of millipedes (class Diplopods). They are so named because they become almost perfectly spherical when attacked by an enemy or when startled. They are distributed throughout the world. There are about 10 species native to Japan, and they live in forests where there is a lot of leaf litter. They are saprophytic. They are often mistaken for terrestrial isopods such as pillbugs because of their similar appearance, but they do not have compound eyes, and the number of body segments and legs is different. The head has a pair of short antennae and several simple eyes on both sides. The second and third dorsal plates are fused to form the large thoracic dorsal plate, and there are 10 body segments behind them.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

倍脚綱(ヤスデ綱)タマヤスデ科Glomeridaeに属する節足動物の総称。敵に襲われたときや驚いたときにほぼ完全な球形になるのでこの名がある。世界各地に分布する。日本産は約10種あり，森林の落葉の多いところにすむ。腐食性。外見は陸生等脚類のダンゴムシとよく似ておりまちがえられることが多いが，複眼がなく，体節や歩肢数も異なる。頭には短い1対の触角と両側に数個の単眼がある。第2と第3背板は癒合して大胸背板となり，その後方に10胴節がある。

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