Porcellio haasi 'High Yellow' Isopods - Woodlouse Culture
Porcellio haasi are one of our favourite 'Spanish Giants' we keep due to their large size, bold colouration and hardiness. These originate from dry, mountainous regions of Spain and can tolerate a drier environment than most other spanish species. The 'High Yellow' morph has vibrant yellow spots and white/grey skirting. This species is sexually dimorphic and males have very long uropods which are noticeably longer from a young age.
We find these like a thick layer, at least 3cm, of leaf litter topped off with curved bark pieces which allows them to escape excess humidity. They will also settle quickly in a tank with lots of surface area to avoid male competition, and are prolific breeders once happy. Too much humidity causes fast die-offs with this species, so its important to not over spray and have excellent ventilation. Like other larger species of isopod, these require a constant source of calcium, so a large cuttlebone or supplement can be left in their tank at all times.
Adult size: 3-3.5cm
Lifespan: approx 2 years
Status: captive bred
Place of Origin: Spain, possibly Aragon
Temperature: 20-23˚C
Humidity: 50%
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, squash, and sweet potato), sepia/ calcium supplement, protein source (fish flake, shrimp pellets, dry mealworms)
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- We suggest keeping P. haasi between 21-23˚C and 50-55% humidity for best results. This species comes from Spain and prefers it on the drier side, so a well ventilated container or faunarium can be used. This species will settle and breed well with a 5-10cm layer of leaf litter, rotten wood and bark above their substrate level. These are a big species so need more space than most. We keep a large colony of isopods in a 40x20x20cm tub with vent holes across the entire lid. A smaller colony of 10-15 will do just fine in a 20x15x15cm enclosure with full lid ventilation.
- 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 in one corner, or 1/4 of the enclosure as a 'hydration station' and keep this constantly moist. We suggest keeping the substrate moist (not soaking!) under the moss and bone dry on the other. 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 eggshells 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 sometimes nibble on them whilst molting!
