Different Isopod Species and Iridovirus

[Irfin]

From a colony in front of my house. About 15% of the colony has this coloration. The rest are a typical gunmetal blue.

Where do you live!?! Can you send me some of those guys?

Iridovirus should be easy to introduce to a colony if you still have the smooshed guy on ice...

My isopod colony got wiped out as of today by tiny little white bugs. Checked my outdoor stock and all that is left are the exoskeleton husks piled in the corners like some isopod horror movie. Any one ever heard of anything like this? They seemed to have had plenty of food and water. Mixed species colony; could that have been the problem?

 

[zonbonzovi]

Checked yesterday, Irfin, but no go...we've had a very wet start to the rainy season and they may have relocated. I'll keep an eye out.

I wonder if your outdoor situation has been upset by hungry Dysdera crocata? The corpses in my D. crocata container match the description.

 

[ZergFront]

I've had a few of those blue ones but I only notice them for about a week or less. I imagine they die and the colony eats them. I thought for the longest time they were only isopods ready to shed.

 

[mattolsen]

very interesting

Great thread!!!

I was wondering if anyone here has any access to either a dichotomous key or a species list of springtails/isopods endemic to Illinois?

I've been collecting/breeding several species that I can't identify yet and would very much like to.

Those pics are beautiful, I wonder any other possibly effects of the virus on other species. Also, is the virus necessarily fatal to some and not so to others?

Thanks in advance. I'm going to try and post some pics of the sp. I've collected so far and if anyone has any ideas I'd love to
hear them.

 

[shebeen]

This thread is 3 years old. You might want to start a new one.

 

[bugmankeith]

Found this yesterday, (sorry from my i phone so quality isnt the best). Purple pillbug.

 

[MrCrackerpants]

Found this yesterday, (sorry from my i phone so quality isnt the best). Purple pillbug.

Cool!!!!!!!!!!!! I have not seen one infected yet. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Loptylop]

what do they eat? they seem cool to keep.

 

[bugmankeith]

what do they eat? they seem cool to keep.

Decaying plant and animal matter. Decaying leaf litter and dirt, dead bugs, rotting fruit, dog or cat food too. They live under rocks and rotting logs and breathe through gills so need lots of moisture misting cage with water daily works for humidity.

 

[Elytra and Antenna]

Here's a very handsome cultivar of nasatum and the natural form of maculatum, both pillbug species.

 

[MrCrackerpants]

View attachment 120358 View attachment 120359 Here's a very handsome cultivar of nasatum and the natural form of maculatum, both pillbug species.

You are amazing!! I will be getting a group of the peach pill bugs asap. Will the black and whites be available soon?

 

[Elytra and Antenna]

I paid more than you'd possibly imagine to get some maculatum but they are breeding and doing extremely well. I listed them in the classifieds a week or two ago but no takers. The orange are a cultivar of nasatum. Both are much faster and easier than vulgare.

 

[MrCrackerpants]

I paid more than you'd possibly imagine to get some maculatum but they are breeding and doing extremely well. I listed them in the classifieds a week or two ago but no takers. The orange are a cultivar of nasatum. Both are much faster and easier than vulgare.

Thanks. Do you think the Zebra maculatum will come down in price?

 

[Elytra and Antenna]

Maybe but they're already available at a fraction of what I had to pay to get mine and anyone getting them is likely interested in breeding them to sell or trade so if that doesn't happen the answer could be no. Of course there are factors I am unaware of that could come into play.

 

[MrCrackerpants]

Maybe but they're already available at a fraction of what I had to pay to get mine and anyone getting them is likely interested in breeding them to sell or trade so if that doesn't happen the answer could be no. Of course there are factors I am unaware of that could come into play.

Thanks, Orin. I probably need to just bite the bullet and pay the price. : ) They are AMAZING looking isopods. I am a sucker for black and white bugs.

---------- Post added 09-07-2013 at 11:15 PM ----------

Orin, Are you also selling the white sow bugs on the cover of your book:

http://shop.bugsincyberspace.com/Isopods-in-Captivity-Terrarium-Clean-up-Crews-bic21.htm

These are also very cool.

 

[Elytra and Antenna]

Those are "dalmations," they have black eyes and black spots on them. Those are Trachelipus rathkei but there is a Porcellio scaber version.

 

[Smokehound714]

Ligia is a really neat genus of isopod, they run super fast like roaches, and have powerful eyesight. Very easy to keep, though they need a reservoir of saltwater, similar to many marine shore crab species.

They're really neat in groups, easy to catch, too.

 

[MrCrackerpants]

Ligia is a really neat genus of isopod, they run super fast like roaches, and have powerful eyesight. Very easy to keep, though they need a reservoir of saltwater, similar to many marine shore crab species.

They're really neat in groups, easy to catch, too.

Cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Loptylop]

i found this guy under a rock

 

[Elytra and Antenna]

Ligia is a really neat genus of isopod, they run super fast like roaches, and have powerful eyesight. Very easy to keep, though they need a reservoir of saltwater, similar to many marine shore crab species.

They're really neat in groups, easy to catch, too.

How long is the longest you've kept a specimen alive for? Have you grown up young without removing the adults which normally eat them?