Collecting Success and Enclosure Switches

[BringontheBugs]

Hey!

Here's a new, isopod exclusive post for you guys to check out!

http://allaboutarthropods.blogspot.com/2016/12/collecting-success-and-enclosure.html

 

[CosbyArt]

@All About Insects Well I see from your real name on the blog I was right to accept the Facebook friend request the other day, I couldn't place the name for nothing but saw some "bug" posts by Joshua so I approved it anyway.

Yeah I find only 10-20% Porcellio scaber species when I collect isopods myself - not tons. Interesting enough though many are a nice orange or calico/variegated color naturally around here. The most common species I find in my area is Armadillidium nasatum about 70% of the time, and the Armadillidium vulgare rounding out the rest.

Some very nice species finds you got, and best of luck cultivating them. If you haven't done so already you should pick up the isopod books from Orin, as he discusses cultivating isopod strains and how to do it (and more importantly some things to avoid). I went cheap originally and got the smaller Isopods in Captivity book (which talks some about it), but I really should get the expanded version Pillbugs And Other Isopods for more details - and would recommend you do the same if you get one.

The Porcellio spinicornis look great (especially the white ones of course), and one I haven't found yet myself. I see you add ventilation holes in your isopod cultures/colonies, I'm curious do you find it helps or what is the reasoning? I avoid any openings with mine for more humidity, and when I feed or mist them with water, the air gets exchanged then and no problems in the last few years.

I did find a few pictures to show off, the first is my typical haul from about 4 hours work there was about 800 isopods in there (all from my small city lot's backyard). The second photo was the first and only Iridovirus infected specimen I've ever found/seen (I caught it 10-29-16 and is still in my colony somewhere), it was completely a bright blue but only the bottom showed up well with my camera (but it wouldn't hold still for decent photos).

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[BringontheBugs]

@All About Insects Well I see from your real name on the blog I was right to accept the Facebook friend request the other day, I couldn't place the name for nothing but saw some "bug" posts by Joshua so I approved it anyway.

Yeah I find only 10-20% Porcellio scaber species when I collect isopods myself - not tons. Interesting enough though many are a nice orange or calico/variegated color naturally around here. The most common species I find in my area is Armadillidium nasatum about 70% of the time, and the Armadillidium vulgare rounding out the rest.

Some very nice species finds you got, and best of luck cultivating them. If you haven't done so already you should pick up the isopod books from Orin, as he discusses cultivating isopod strains and how to do it (and more importantly some things to avoid). I went cheap originally and got the smaller Isopods in Captivity book (which talks some about it), but I really should get the expanded version Pillbugs And Other Isopods for more details - and would recommend you do the same if you get one.

The Porcellio spinicornis look great (especially the white ones of course), and one I haven't found yet myself. I see you add ventilation holes in your isopod cultures/colonies, I'm curious do you find it helps or what is the reasoning? I avoid any openings with mine for more humidity, and when I feed or mist them with water, the air gets exchanged then and no problems in the last few years.

I did find a few pictures to show off, the first is my typical haul from about 4 hours work there was about 800 isopods in there (all from my small city lot's backyard). The second photo was the first and only Iridovirus infected specimen I've ever found/seen (I caught it 10-29-16 and is still in my colony somewhere), it was completely a bright blue but only the bottom showed up well with my camera (but it wouldn't hold still for decent photos).

View attachment 8542

View attachment 8543

Yea, I could've send you a message letting you know who I was, but thought that you might have already known. LOL

Nice, sounds like you've got some very interesting P.scaber in your area!   About 90% of the isopods in my yard are A.vulgare, the other 10% being P.pruinosus. However, Woodhaven Lakes and my local nature preserves are where I collect most of my isopods. 

Thanks! I haven't picked up either of those books yet, although I have some extra cash right now, so I might pick up a copy of "Pillbugs and Other Isopods". It would definitely be very useful.

Thanks, I would say that they're probably the second most beautiful isopod species(IMO P.pruinosus would be first) that I've found locally. I find that if I don't add ventilation holes to my isopod enclosures my dead leaves leaves tend to mold quickly.

Wow, what a haul! I'm only able to find about half that many at a time(even on the best days) in my yard! Yikes, I don't think I would've put it back into my colony, isn't the Iridovirus contagious to other inverts?

 

[CosbyArt]

@All About Insects It worked out.

That I do, I'll have to see if I can dig out some photos of those colored specimens sometime. You do great finding them as well, nice to hear you have various locations for different species. I tried that myself but tend to not to turn any up elsewhere (not enough hiding places/leaf litter/humidity at several areas).

The bigger book as you mentioned should cover the topic better about cultivating strains of isopods, but you may want to ask Orin in a PM about how well it is covered or if he could answer any questions you had after reading. Always nice to be able to ask such questions if needed.

Ah well that makes sense if you are experiencing mold. You can add springtails to the tank to fix it too, but is near impossible to separate the two later (and kinda of defeats the colony idea).

Depending on the temperature outside, in the warmer months I can get up to 3 hauls like that per week from my backyard. Of course once the cold starts the numbers go way down to nearly nothing.

Orin says he thinks the mode of transmission of the Iridovirus is only from others eating the dead infected specimens body. The original was added to a special smaller colony so no problems would occur, and would be interesting to see if it does spread - imagine photos of lots of them being a brilliant blue. I read in his book Orin tried to cultivate the blue into a strain without the virus but has been unsuccessfully thus far.

Regarding it affecting other inverts I have been careful (water/feeding/etc) and keep it away from others, but again because of the transmission mode of eating the specimen there should be zero problems - and in all honestly the Iridovirus is likely a different strain for different inverts like most things.

 

[Hisserdude]

I see you add ventilation holes in your isopod cultures/colonies, I'm curious do you find it helps or what is the reasoning? I avoid any openings with mine for more humidity, and when I feed or mist them with water, the air gets exchanged then and no problems in the last few years.

While limited ventilation works for most isopods, Armadillidium vulgare is actually pretty sensitive to low ventilation and can die off in huge numbers without good airflow, (from what I've heard the same may be true for A.maculatum).

 

[CosbyArt]

While limited ventilation works for most isopods, Armadillidium vulgare is actually pretty sensitive to low ventilation and can die off in huge numbers without good airflow, (from what I've heard the same may be true for A.maculatum).

Good to know, thanks for the response. I guess I've been lucky in that regard as I have few Armadillidium vulgare in my finds, and perhaps a ill fitting lid that has helped with airflow.