Cubaris sp. “Panda King”

Among the least finicky of all Cubaris species in my experience, right up there with Cubaris murina in hardiness and prolific reproduction. I have these as a cleanup crew in my Warty Glowspot Roach bin, which has a mostly moist substrate, very high ventilation and a warm end at around 80°F and a cooler end closer to 72°F. These guys absolutely demolish leaves and rot wood, leaving only bark slabs in their wake, so I supplement frequently with fish flakes and pellets with plenty of cuttlebone pieces available. The more often you can keep up with their appetite for leaf litter and rot wood, the better.

Armadillidium gestroi

A large and hardy isopod. These can take a hot minute to get to full size and reproduce, but once they do, WOW! Babies galore! Many of the adults seem to die immediately after having a very large clutch of young. Mine do just fine at room temperatures, anywhere between 68–75°F seems to work well, with a moisture gradient and lots of leaves and rot wood for food and shelter, just like any other isopod. This is a really fun starter species and a great one for kids to enjoy due to the large adult size.

Elumoides sp. “Yellow Submarine”

These are an extremely tiny species of micro-isopods sometimes affectionately referred to as “picopods” by people who know how to make them sound just as adorable as they look. These absolutely miniscule isopods measure only 2 mm at full size, making them smaller even than some species of springtail. They’re very easy to care for: keep them moist, keep them warm (75–85°F), and give them plenty of leaf litter with some fish food occasionally. Why might anyone be interested in these? Well, for anyone wanting an inconspicuous & diverse cleanup crew in a moist setting, these are a great candidate! Especially for planted terrariums where larger isopods might devour your beloved plants. Another great application: if you or a child in your household likes to look at things under a microscope, they’re perfect little creatures to culture for just that purpose! Limited on space? Not a problem for a colony of Elumoides sp. “Yellow Submarine,” as they can be kept in tiny acrylic boxes or even a deli cup, just don’t let them dry out. (All of this also applies to the other “picopod” in my lineup, Reductoniscus costulatus “Pink Togezo Spiky” picopod!) Personally I keep my Yellow Submarines as a cleanup crew in the substrate of my Cubaris sp. “Lemon Blue” isopods because, well… they’re both yellow. I know. But before you deem me a simpleton, it does actually make sense. I’ve found that both my Lemon Blues and Yellow Submarines maintain their vibrant yellow coloration best on a carotenoid-rich diet; without it, both tend to fade toward a whitish color. So two birds with one stone, or rather two isopods with one color-enhancing fish food pellet. With that I’ll leave you with one final quandary; if we all live in a Yellow Submarine, and that Yellow Submarine is only 2 mm long, does that make us all Whos? And if so, where is Horton?

Armadillidium maculatum

A hobby classic, the Zebra Pillbug aka Zebra Isopod. These are hardy and prolific, tolerating both relatively dry setups and wet setups alike! These were originally sold to me as “Yellow Zebras” but they throw a lot of white, light yellow, deep yellow and a few that even look a lot like the coveted “Chocolate” morph, so for that reason I will just call these “Lotto Mix” and move on with my life. Great cleanup crew, thriving at room temperature and slightly warmer. Give ’em leaves, rot wood, fish flakes, and veggies and they’ll be happy campers. This would be a great starting point for someone interested in isolating their own stable line of yellows, classic whites, chocolates or all three!

Porcellio bolivari

Extremely underrated Spanish isopods, in my opinion. These guys get fairly large as far as isopods go, and anyone who says they aren’t absolutely gorgeous can fight me! They prefer cool temperatures, I try not to let mine get over 70°F, with 65–69°F being my target range. Keep their tub relatively dry with just one or two damp corners. As with all isopods it’s important to be sure they have rot wood & leaf litter available for food and shelter. Supplement with fish flakes here and there for a protein boost.

Armadillidium pulchellum

This diminutive isopod is a little different from most of the other members of its genus in that they are not regularly surface-active, instead they are generally below the surface of the substrate on the underside of partially buried rot wood pieces. I received these in the substrate of the Gromphadorhina portentosa “LLE Mahogany” from Kyle of Roach Crossing, who asserted that they greatly benefit the wellbeing of the roaches, while the roaches likewise benefit the isopods (which I wholeheartedly agree with), and to this day they remain with their giant hissing roommates. As far as I can tell they subsist almost entirely on rot wood and roach poo, but if you don’t choose to keep yours with roaches then I would certainly supplement their diet with fish flakes and vegetables occasionally (and then I would attempt to peer pressure you into getting them some roach buddies to live with, even if it’s only some micro roaches like Nocticola vagus, etc).

Porcellio aff. laevis “Dairy Cow”

The quintessential, OG isopod of the hobby, Dairy Cows! These prolific and hardy isopods make a wonderful beginner-friendly cleanup crew for any number of setups, with very attractive coloration to boot! They tolerate a very wide range of temperatures and moisture levels (though no isopod can survive total desiccation, so always be sure they have a source of moisture somewhere in the enclosure). These are a particularly good option for kids who may not be as diligent about keeping up with husbandry. How do I know? My 7-, now 8-year-old has kept a colony going for well over a year at the time of writing this, and if you have young children you’ll know that’s really saying something. Just give them a little substrate, some chunks of wood, plenty of leaf litter, and toss in a bit of fish food and/or vegetable scraps here and there, and you’re golden. Also, quick note about their scientific name; there has recently been debate over whether these are actually Porcellio laevis because multiple prominent hobbyists have been unsuccessful in crossing these with other lines of Porcellio laevis, bringing into question their species ID. For this reason I label them as Porcellio aff. laevis.

Armadillidium vulgare “Magic Potion”

These are the “true” and original Magic Potions from Savannah, GA originally isolated by Jay Fiore and refined by Roach Crossing. Not only do they express the dalmatian genetic trait, they have been selectively line-bred for high yellow coloration, which sets them apart from the Japanese line of dalmatian vulgares. Easy to care for, tolerating a wide range of temperatures from the mid 60’s up to mid 80’s (°F). Provide a moisture gradient with plenty of leaf litter and rot wood for them to munch on and live in, supplement with fish flakes or pellets, and it never hurts to toss in a piece of cuttlebone for good measure if it tickles your fancy.

Porcellio scaber “Dalmatian”

So you’re a fan of Dairy Cows but you want something with way more style points? Then Porcellio scaber “Dalmatian” is just the isopod for you! These little beauties are hardy, prolific, can tolerate a wide range of moisture levels, a wide range of temperatures, and are overall just super, super cool. Their pattern can be anywhere from tiny black speckles on a white background (think vanilla bean icecream) to larger black splotches on white. This is pure stock, and you can tell from the fact that these do not produce spots of any color other than black. My original stock came directly from Kyle of Roach Crossing. If you’ve read literally any of my other isopod listings you already know what to feed them. I can’t bring myself to type it out again.

Armadillidium vulgare “Orange Dalmatian (US)”

These isopods, while lovely in their own right, are a prime example of the confusion in the hobby surrounding so-called “Magic Potion” A. vulgare because these were originally sold to me as “Magic Potion (US)” which after further research was a misnomer; because these particular A. vulgare display less yellow coloration and have orange-brown blotches instead of black blotches, which means they are not pure “Magic Potions.” While they may have descended from “Magic Potions” they have been outcrossed with something else to give them the orange and brown blotches, and thus they are more appropriately labelled as simply “Dalmatian US” or perhaps more accurately “Orange Dalmatian US.”

Same care as any A. vulgare; room temp or slightly warmer, substrate with a moisture gradient, plenty of rot wood and dried leaves, a cuttlebone if you like, and supplement with fish flakes and vegetables occasionally.