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Isopod Cultures

Isopods For Bioactive Terrarium clean up crews & more!

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About Our Microfauna & Feeders

Springtails and Mushrooms In Bioactive Terrarium The Best Springtail Cultures The Best Source For Fruit Fly Cultures Live Isopod Clean Up Crew For Bioactive Terrariums Live Isopods For Live Vivariums
The Best Springtail Cultures The Best Source For Fruit Fly Cultures Live Isopod Clean Up Crew For Bioactive Terrariums

When it comes to microfauna & feeder cultures, our small company's goal has always been to offer the best bugs available anywhere. Ever since we began offering live microfauna back in 2009, we've done our best to earn & maintain our uncommonly positive reputation in this department. Our team has worked to develop unique production & quality assurance methods beyond what might be considered typical for the industry. Each member of the staff has been trained to prevent cross-contamination within our environmentally controlled microfauna room, in an effort to ensure our microfauna cultures remain clean, predictable, and reliable.

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Live Isopod Cultures: Armadillidium Species

Our largest & most sought after species of Isopods

Isopoda Armadillidium maculatum Isopoda Armadillidium maculatum 'Chocolate' Isopoda Armadillidium sp. 'Montenegro'
Armadillidium maculatum Armadillidium maculatum 'Chocolate' Armadillidium sp. 'Montenegro'
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Zebra Isopods Chocolate Zebra Isopods Montenegro Isopods
Armadillidium maculatum Armadillidium maculatum 'Chocolate' Armadillidium sp. 'Montenegro'
Click to show Isopods on a white background
NEHERP Staff Description:
These are the largest Isopods we work with, approaching 5/8in in length. Species in this genus are able to roll into a ball when they are disturbed, which helps to protect their soft underbelly while only exposing their harder shell. This behavior has earned them the common names "Roly Poly" and "Pillbug". Unlike our smaller varieties, these reproduce significantly slower and are far less common in the hobby. Although they perform the same function as any other Isopod we carry in a live vivarium environment, Armadillidium species seem to be more commonly kept as pets by invertebrate enthusiasts. If they'll be used as a detritivore within a vivarium designed for another primary inhabitant, we strongly recommend allowing extra time to ensure they can establish a large enough population. Otherwise, these are a great choice for those who are looking to build a micro-vivarium with Isopods as the primary inhabitant. Continue reading...
About Armadillidium maculatum:
These are affectionately known as "Zebra Pillbugs" within the hobby. Their blackish-gray & white striping stands out on any vivarium substrate. They seem to explore enclosures without much shyness, and tend to stay in view once a population is established. They tend to explore more when humidity is high & there are a few dimly lit areas available to them. An awesome choice for those looking for a starter Isopod Pet.
About Armadillidium maculatum 'Chocolate':
These are hand-selected Armadillidium maculatum which have been line bred for a dark brown coloration. Available Isopods are bred from a line which was separated from one of our cultures in early 2017 by a young student team member of ours who took the project on as an experiment, after he'd seen line-bred Isopods being talked about on social media. Unexpectedly cool stuff! This is an ongoing project which is constantly improving.
About Armadillidium klugii 'Montenegro':
Commonly referred to as "Clown Isopods" by enthusiasts. These are some of the more rare Isopods in the hobby today, and are the "newest to the hobby" species that we currently offer. Young individuals have slightly more drab coloration with the top row of spots being white/gray in color. As the Isopods mature, their skirt coloration seems to become brighter orange, and the white/gray row of spots turns to bright yellow.
A. maculatum 'Zebra' A. maculatum 'Chocolate' A. klugii 'Montenegro'
$27.99/ea Culture
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$23.79/ea Culture
15 Individuals Of Mixed Ages Per Culture
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A. maculatum 'Zebra' A. maculatum 'Chocolate' A. klugii 'Montenegro'
$29.99/ea Culture
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$25.49/ea Culture
15 Individuals Of Mixed Ages Per Culture
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A. maculatum 'Zebra' A. maculatum 'Chocolate' A. klugii 'Montenegro'
$74.99/ea Culture
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$56.24/ea Culture
15 Individuals Of Mixed Ages Per Culture
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Live Isopod Cultures: Dwarf Species

Beneficial detritivore microfauna for live Vivariums & more

Beneficial microfauna for live vivariums

Isopoda Dwarf Sp. 'Gray' Isopoda Dwarf Sp. 'Purple' Isopoda Dwarf Sp. 'White'
"Dwarf Gray"
Nagurus cristatus
"Dwarf Purple"
Isopoda Sp. 'Dwarf Purple'
"Dwarf White"
Trichorhina tomentosa

Click to show Isopods on a natural background
Nagurus cristatus Isopoda Sp. 'Dwarf Purple' Trichorhina tomentosa
"Dwarf Gray"
Nagurus cristatus
"Dwarf Purple"
Isopoda Sp. 'Dwarf Purple'
"Dwarf White"
Trichorhina tomentosa

Click to show Isopods on a white background
NEHERP Staff Description:
The 'Dwarf Isopod' label applied to these varieties stems from the hobby, and doesn't reflect an official taxonomic rank. These Isopods are just under 1/4in long as adults, and are the smallest varieties we offer. Younger specimens are only slightly larger than common Springtails (Collembola), making them more difficult to spot than their larger cousins. These Isopods are our top-choice for use as a cleanup crew within a live vivarium housing most inhabitant species. They reproduce fairly quickly, are easy to manage, and seem to be active both day and night. We consider Dwarf Isopods to be suitable for all tropical & temperate enclosures which have fairly moist (not necessarily wet) substrate, and a minimum of 50% relative humidity. In addition to being kept as pets & utilized as detritivores within live vivarium environments, these dwarf species are sometimes offered as feeders for small insectivores. Dwarf varieties seem to reproduce fastest when kept between 70-80F, but they will survive in both higher and lower temperatures. Continue reading...
About The "Asst" Option:
The "Assorted" (Breeder's Choice) option is our best deal on a healthy Dwarf Isopod culture. With this selection, you'll receive one of the three Dwarf Isopod species we carry. This option allows us to pull from whichever species is most plentiful at the time, which helps ensure we can keep up with demand. For being flexible and selecting this option, we're able to provide you with the lower price (5-10% off!) on the culture. :-) If you'll be using Isopods for a live vivarium & don't have a strong preference one way or the other, this will be your best bet since all three of these species perform the same task.
About Dwarf Gray Isopods:
We consider Dwarf Gray Isopods (Nagurus cristatus) a tropical species. These are frequently found in tropical greenhouses, which has earned them the colloquial name of "Greenhouse Woodlouse". The line we work with was actually unexpectedly sourced from a shipment of tropical plants from Florida back in 2012, and we've been told these are a native species from that area. From From what we've been told, it seems that Nagurus cristatus is actually a parthenogenetic species. (All female, producing asexually) This variety seems to reproduce a slightly slower than our other dwarf Isopods, so they are available less often. These are also called "Dwarf Striped Isopods".
About Dwarf Purple Isopods:
Adult Dwarf Purple Isopods seem to have a slightly purple/brown hue. (Well illustrated in this example photo) We've found that they are happy to explore upper regions of backgrounds & wood decor, so long as there is enough moisture present within the enclosure. There has been debate within the hobby for years about the official name for this species, but we aren't confident enough to post one way or another. We've seen them colloquially referred to as "Costa Rican Purple Isopods", "Jungle Purple Isopods", and a handful of other names. If you have information on the official species name of these Isopods, please let us know. We'd love to learn!
About Dwarf White Isopods:
Like the purple variety, Trichorhina tomentosa are also keen on venturing upward within a moist enclosure, and can sometimes be found on backgrounds & other hardscape decor. They are the easiest dwarf variety to spot due to their coloration. (Here's another decent closeup photo) We're told their native range extends from North to South America. Dwarf White Isopods are among the most commonly utilized & easiest to keep species in the live vivarium hobby. Other colloquial names for these include "Dwarf Tropical Woodlice", "Tropical White Isopods", "Dwarf White Sowbugs", and "Dwarf White Woodlice".
Dwarf Sp. (Asst) Dwarf Gray Dwarf Purple Dwarf White
$13.99/ea Culture
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$11.89/ea Culture
15 Individuals Of Mixed Ages Per Culture
★ Dwarf Isopods are up to 25% cheaper in Substrate Kits! ★
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Dwarf Sp. (Asst) Dwarf Gray Dwarf Purple Dwarf White
$14.99/ea Culture
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$12.74/ea Culture
15 Individuals Of Mixed Ages Per Culture
★ Dwarf Isopods are up to 25% cheaper in Substrate Kits! ★
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Dwarf Sp. (Asst) Dwarf Gray Dwarf Purple Dwarf White
$14.99/ea Culture
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15% Off!
$12.74/ea Culture
15 Individuals Of Mixed Ages Per Culture
★ Dwarf Isopods are up to 25% cheaper in Substrate Kits! ★
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Dwarf Sp. (Asst) Dwarf Gray Dwarf Purple Dwarf White
$14.99/ea Culture
On Sale Now!
15% Off!
$12.74/ea Culture
15 Individuals Of Mixed Ages Per Culture
★ Dwarf Isopods are up to 25% cheaper in Substrate Kits! ★
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Live Isopod Cultures: Porcellio scaber

Beneficial detritivore microfauna for live Vivariums & more

Beneficial microfauna for live vivariums

Porcellio scaber Porcellio scaber 'Dalmation' Porcellio scaber 'Spanish Orange'
Porcellio scaber P. scaber 'Dalmation' P. scaber 'Spanish Orange'
Click to show Isopods on a natural background
Porcellio scaber Porcellio scaber 'Dalmation' Porcellio scaber 'Spanish Orange'
Porcellio scaber P. scaber 'Dalmation' P. scaber 'Spanish Orange'
Click to show Isopods on a white background
NEHERP Staff Description:

This is one seriously prolific little Isopod which has established populations on every continent except for Antarctica. Adults grow to around 3/4in long, making them significantly larger than the Dwarf varieties we work with. While there are a few Isopod enthusiasts keeping these as pets, we've found that the majority of our clients utilize Porcellio scaber as detritivores within live Vivariums & other enclosures which would benefit from their company. We consider this species an excellent choice for all temperate & tropical live vivariums (50-95% relative humidity) which house medium or large inhabitants. (Over 6-7in long) Colloquial names for this widespread species include "Rough Woodlouse", "Common Woodlouse", and "European Woodlouse". Porcellio species can't roll into a ball like their Armadillidium cousins. We keep these between 70-84F, and provide a slightly moist substrate at all times. It's especially important to provide a source of leaf litter when keeping this species, since hungry individuals can sometimes turn on live plants when their preferred food source runs short. If Porcellio scaber Isopods begin munching on plants in your enclosure while plenty of leaf litter is available (this is extremely uncommon), we recommend offering more nutrient rich foods (Repashy Bug Burger or Repashy Morning Wood). Continue reading...

All three of the varieties we work with (natural/wild type, 'Dalmation', and 'Spanish Orange') are different lines of the same species (P. scaber). For that reason, the care recommendations & behavioral analysis above applies to all three varieties. There are over 190 species of Porcellio, and we look forward to working with new types in the future.

Porcellio scaber P. scaber 'Dalmation' P. scaber 'Spanish Orange'
$14.99/ea Culture
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$12.74/ea Culture
15 Individuals Of Mixed Ages Per Culture
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Porcellio scaber P. scaber 'Dalmation' P. scaber 'Spanish Orange'
$24.99/ea Culture
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$21.24/ea Culture
15 Individuals Of Mixed Ages Per Culture
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Porcellio scaber P. scaber 'Dalmation' P. scaber 'Spanish Orange'
$23.99/ea Culture
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$20.39/ea Culture
15 Individuals Of Mixed Ages Per Culture
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