Cubaris sp 'Panda King' Isopods - Woodlouse Culture
Cubaris sp 'Panda King' are a great beginner species for those wanting to keep more expensive exotic isopods within the Cubaris genus, like Rubber Duckies. They gained their name from their black and white block colouration resembling that of a panda! These are naturally found in the humid cave systems of Vietnam which contain limestone, so a supplement of limestone can be provided although its not crucial, as cuttlebone works just as well. Like other Cubaris, these are semi-fossorial so will spend a lot of time in the substrate and under bark, but they can be seen more often once their population increases. The genus is known for having longer lifespans and lower reproduction rates which usually is reflected in their price tag. Too dry or too wet of an environment in captivity is the main culprit of a colony crash for Cubaris, but this species seems to be more tolerant of fluctuations and mistakes which makes them ideal for beginner hobbyists.
Adult size: 1-1.5cm
Lifespan: 2-3 years
Status: captive bred
Place of Origin: Vietnam
Temperature: 18-23˚C
Humidity: 70-80%
Diet: Hardwood leaf litter (oak, beech, hazel etc), rotten hardwood, flake soil, organic waste/ faeces, sphagnum moss, mushrooms, variety of fruit and vegetables (favourites include cucumber, carrot, and sweet potato), sepia/ calcium supplement, protein source (fish flake, shrimp pellets, nutritional yeast, dry mealworms)
The EntoScapes Way
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Return & Refund Policy - Live Inverts
- We suggest keeping Panda Kings between 21-23˚C and 70-80% humidity for best results. We keep a large colony of isopods in a 30x20x20cm storage tub with vent holes across the lid. A smaller colony will do just fine in a 20x15x15cm enclosure.
- Like other isopods, these need a humidity gradient which can be achieved by making sure there are dry and damp areas in their environment. The best way is to provide sphagnum moss or live moss on one half of the enclosure as a 'hydration station' and keep this constantly moist. We suggest keeping the substrate moist (not soaking!) and provide plenty of bark pieces and leaf litter to allow them to seek out dryer spots.
- Make sure you use a high-quality substrate (no coco coir!) such as our Premium Millipede Edible Substrate as this will be the main food component for your isopods, and provide crushed cuttlebone or limestone for calcium, as well as a good quality protein source once a week for optimal health. We prefer to feed vegetables to our isopods to help deter fruit fly and fungus gnat infestations, but that’s just our choice! Like many invertebrates one of their favourites is cucumber which we provide in slices and replace once completely eaten, which is around once a week.
- We recommend NOT keeping any protein-hungry isopods with millipedes, as they can potentially damage or kill them during a moult!
