Trichorhina tomentosa (dwarf white isopod) invading other isopod enclosures?

pannaking22

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Has anyone else noticed that T. tomentosa seem to make their way into just about every other isopod enclosure they can? They've popped up in several of mine and I know I didn't put them there. I keep seeing them and hoping they're babies of the other species, but so far I don't think so (though time will tell). I'm half tempted to put vaseline around the top of the T. tomentosa enclosure to see if I can keep them in there...
 

Aquarimax

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I have noticed the same thing...in fact, my initial culture of T. tomentosa came from individuals I found in Spanish Orange and springtail cultures I had purchased.

To my chagrin, I just found some dwarf whites in my bumblebee/scarlet millipede enclosures!

If anything, I tend to be overly careful to avoid cross-contamination between cultures.

I am sure that parthenogenesis helps T. tomentosa found populations, but teleportation also seems to play a role.
 

pannaking22

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I've tried to be as careful as possible as well, but I think because my T. tomentosa container has been stacked on top of others they may somehow be climbing up through the holes while still very small and working their way into the others. Might be a bit of a stretch, but it's the only thing I can think of since I don't move substrates around or anything and they're the only species I've ever used as a clean up crew. I'm just going to continue to hope that maybe the ones in some of my newer enclosures are just babies of the correct species and there haven't been any invaders yet. I have the T. tomentosa enclosure completely separated from everyone else now so we'll see what happens.
 

Hisserdude

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I've heard this species has a propensity to find their way into other enclosures, mine are in a container with an airtight lid and very small ventilation holes, I'm hoping I won't have a problem with them.
 

Aquarimax

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Thus is the crazy thing about them finding their way into my bumblebee/scarlet millipede enclosure: it is on a shelf far away from any other enclosure with T. tomentosa in it, no enclosures of any kind above it, and I have been extremely careful not to cross-contaminate...just how did they get in there?
 

blacksheep998

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Mine are also in a container with a tight fitting lid, but it sits on top of my other containers. Haven't had any teleportations yet, but I do have some striped springtails that started out in one container and have since turned up in several others.
 

pannaking22

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I think I'm going to have to move mine into a more secure enclosure. Another thought I had is that I've been using them as a cleanup crew in several roach enclosures, so it wouldn't surprise me too much if they're teleporting out of those and ending up with my other species. Springtails tend to jump (no pun intended) into other enclosures too and I've never fully figured out how.
 

Aquarimax

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My Sinella curviseta springtails seem to get into just about any enclosure I set up, provided it has enough humidity. This is not a problem, except that they have inviaded several Folsomia candida cultures and seem to outcompete the latter to some extent.

T. tomentosa also seems to have a negative effect on the populations of larger isopods when it shows up in enclosures.
 

Hisserdude

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My Sinella curviseta springtails seem to get into just about any enclosure I set up, provided it has enough humidity. This is not a problem, except that they have inviaded several Folsomia candida cultures and seem to outcompete the latter to some extent.

T. tomentosa also seems to have a negative effect on the populations of larger isopods when it shows up in enclosures.
Yeah, my Sinella curviseta have invaded most of my roach enclosures, and outcompete any microfauna in their way such as mites and the smaller silver springtails that used to colonize my enclosures.
 

Ghoul

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Some isopods seem to be escape artists. I own some Porcellio scaber that managed to escape from their box and make it all the way to the kitchen, living room, and one climbed up the side of my wardrobe somehow. I'm starting to think that when I look into their box they just pretend that they can't climb the walls, just to start doing ninja shit as I turn the lights off.
 

mickiem

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I know this is an older post, but I wanted to weigh in! I think eggs can be so small they can adhere to our skin or under our nails. I also wonder if a fruit fly, fungus gnat, etc. could have an egg adhered to their body and deposit it in another enclosure.
 

pannaking22

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Or a newborn could hitch a ride on one of the flies. Obnoxious little guys lol.
 
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