Description
These cute purple-brown and sometimes greyish looking isopods are from the species Porcellio laevis, which is native from Europe but are found all over the world. Their bodies have 7 segments, with two antennae and big eyes.
They live under leaf litter, rocks, and fallen logs in forests, meadows, and gardens, and are frequently found in splash zones, dunes and salt marshes. Although they are most often found in leaf litter, they are often found on tree bark as well, particularly during the summer.
They feed on organic decaying matter such as leaf litter, or decaying insects. In captivity we suggest keeping them in a enclosure that has graded levels of moisture. Offer some veggies once a week such as carrots, and for protein dried mealworms, or high protein cricket food. Pulpy or rotting wood can also be offered, along with eggshell powder for calcium.
*Sold in batches of 10
IsopodCaretaker (verified owner) –
A bit of a delay with arriving, a few died but they’re doing well now! They’re an addition to my lucky dip Porcellio laevis colony.