# Crossbreeding isopods?



## Chimera (Aug 11, 2018)

So my interest in breeding isopods persists, but I'm having difficulty finding sources to learn about the finer point of it. Everything I find is too technical for me to understand, or not specific enough.

I have one main question that I haven't been able to find the answer to. So I know different colors of isopods within species can be crossbred, but what about isopods that are different species but in the same genus? For example, breeding _Porcellio dilatatus _with _Porcellio scaber_? (Totally random examples.)

I feel like it should be possible, but if it is, why haven't hobbyist pursued it?

Thanks in advance! Also, any links to sources or papers about isopod breeding are appreciated

Reactions: Like 1


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## Jurdon (Aug 12, 2018)

I’ve never seen it happen. I chalk it up to two things:
-Everyone who keeps isopods is also in the invert hobby in some other form, and knows the stigma against hybrids
-The species just.. _don’t _breed. The genus you used in your example, Porcellio, is very diverse, with its species occupying many parts of the world. If I tried to pair one of my P. ornatus with a scaber, nothing would happen. Size differences, different environments, etc. lead to these animals being foreign from one another.

Unfortunately i come bearing no papers or articles on breeding, but feel free to ask me any questions! I’m still pretty new at a fair bit of the iso hobby, but i like to help when i can, and i may just learn something too!

Reactions: Wow 1


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## Chimera (Aug 12, 2018)

Jurdon said:


> I’ve never seen it happen. I chalk it up to two things:
> -Everyone who keeps isopods is also in the invert hobby in some other form, and knows the stigma against hybrids
> -The species just.. _don’t _breed. The genus you used in your example, Porcellio, is very diverse, with its species occupying many parts of the world. If I tried to pair one of my P. ornatus with a scaber, nothing would happen. Size differences, different environments, etc. lead to these animals being foreign from one another.
> 
> Unfortunately i come bearing no papers or articles on breeding, but feel free to ask me any questions! I’m still pretty new at a fair bit of the iso hobby, but i like to help when i can, and i may just learn something too!


Okay, thanks for your answer. And I don't have any more questions off the top of my head, but I'll be sure to shoot you a message if I think of some!


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## Ellenantula (Aug 12, 2018)

Appropriate username @Chimera


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## Chimera (Aug 12, 2018)

Ellenantula said:


> Appropriate username @Chimera


... :wideyed:

Apparently the subject of crossbreeding has fascinated my subconscious for quite a while!

Reactions: Funny 1


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## Ghoul (Aug 17, 2018)

Generally isopods in the hobby don't seem to be able to hybridise. I've seen different Armadillidium species trying to mate but nothing ever came out of it. If someone managed to get two species to hybridise it would be big news, as there is no accounts of the species in the hobby hybridising yet.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Arachnidusa (Aug 20, 2018)

As far as I'm aware isopods do not cross breed. But dwarf whites will out compete any other isopod culture. So its highly recommended to never try raise more than one species in any one tub at a time


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## Ghoul (Aug 22, 2018)

Arachnidusa said:


> But dwarf whites will out compete any other isopod culture. So its highly recommended to never try raise more than one species in any one tub at a time


Soil-dwelling species (dwarf and pygmy sp.) can be cohabited with bigger, on-soil living ones. An example of this would be keeping dwarf whites with powder blues, or Hyloniscus riparius with Trachelipus ratzeburgi.

Out competition usually happens with species that live in the same niché, like dwarf whites and dwarf purples, Porcellio scaber and Porcellio laevis, Porcellio laevis and Armadillidium maculatum (zebras) ect. as one species will breed quicker and they compete for the same resources. Sometimes they will even eat the offspring of the other species. 

It's also important to offer enough food rich in protein and calcium (cuttlefish bone is a favourite for the latter) so there's no eating of others or even their own offspring. The exception to this are Porcellio scaber as they will randomly eat their own offspring at times anyway. They should never be cohabited with anything that isn't springtails due to their aggressive behavior.

Reactions: Agree 3


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