Types of Cubaris Isopods: The Four Groups Explained

The Four Groups of Cubaris

Cubaris isn't one thing. What gets sold as "Cubaris" in the UK hobby actually falls into four distinct groups, and knowing which is which tells you most of what you need about price, difficulty and care. There are the premium Thai forms (Rubber Ducky, White Shark, Pak Chong - the famous, expensive ones), the Vietnamese Panda King family, the far more forgiving Cubaris murina variants, and finally the "Soil Isopods" - first traded as Cubaris, and now mostly sold under a different genus. This guide explains the difference, and which group you should actually start with.

What Cubaris Actually Are

Cubaris is a genus in the family Armadillidae - not the family of the European Armadillidium, which sit in the similarly named Armadillidiidae. Sellers place the premium hobby forms in the limestone karst country of Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand and Vietnam, but no hobby form has a published scientific description or collecting locality, so Cubaris here is a trade label for a group of Southeast Asian woodlice rather than a settled identification.

Ordinary woodlouse biology explains nearly everything about how they need to be kept:

• High humidity, typically somewhere from 60 to 85% by species, because woodlice lose water easily
• Warm tropical temperatures, 22-26°C
• Calcium-rich substrate, ideally with real limestone rather than powder, for the calcium carbonate cuticle they build
• Stability above all - they react badly to fluctuation
• Low light and plenty of cover; most are far less active in bright conditions

Our complete Cubaris care guide covers the husbandry in full.

Group 1: The Premium Thai Forms

The most famous Cubaris in the hobby. Sellers place them in the limestone karst country around the Pak Chong region of Thailand, which is a district rather than a named cave, and nothing has been published about where any of them was collected. Premium-priced, visually spectacular, and the least forgiving of husbandry mistakes.

This group includes the Rubber Ducky - discovered in 2017 and still the animal that pulls most people into the hobby - along with the Amber Ducky, White Ducky, White Shark, Pak Chong, White Side, Jupiter, Yellow Tiger, Rubber Bee, the red-eyed Giant Mandarin, Thai Blue Angel and the coffee-and-cream Cappuccino.

They vary in difficulty within the group. Pak Chong and White Shark are noticeably more forgiving than the rarer morphs, which makes them the sensible entry point if you've decided you want one of the premium Thai forms.

Group 2: The Vietnamese Panda King Family

Sold as Vietnamese animals, though sellers disagree on the country and nobody has published a locality. The group is built around the classic Panda King and its colour variants - Pink, Red and White Panda King and the orange Citrus Panda King.

As a group they sit slightly easier than the premium Thai species while still delivering the striking black-and-white contrast that made the Panda King famous. They want the same calcium-rich, humid, stable conditions, but they're less punishing about small mistakes. For a lot of keepers, a Panda King is the first premium Cubaris that actually works.

Group 3: Cubaris murina (the beginner-friendly ones)

This is the group most people overlook, and it's the one most people should start with.

Cubaris murina is a cosmopolitan tropical species - not a cave specialist - and it comes in several colour variants: the Little Sea Isopod, Murina Glacier, Marina Papaya, Mandarin and Anemone among them. They're forgiving, tolerate a wider range of conditions than the premium forms, breed more readily, and cost a fraction as much.

If you want to learn Cubaris husbandry without an expensive lesson, this is where you do it.

Group 4: The Ones That Probably Aren't Cubaris

The "Soil Isopods" were first traded across the hobby as Cubaris sp., and most sellers now list them as Troglodillo, a separate genus. No scientific identification has been published, so the genus is a hobby label rather than a settled answer, and some keepers have suggested Nesodillo instead.

Sellers give China, Vietnam or Thailand as their origin, with no collecting locality published. They're dark purple to almost black with white antennae, and sometimes sold under names like "Black Evil" or "Gothic Isopods". They're low-maintenance, they burrow, they hide under leaf litter, and they become more visible as they settle in.

None of that makes them a bad animal - they're excellent, and easy. But they're probably not Cubaris, and if you're buying on the assumption that you're getting a Cubaris, you should know what you're actually getting. Browse our Troglodillo collection for the animals sold under that name. The Sunset, a warm orange Thai animal traded as Cubaris sp. 'Sunset Queen' for years and now also sold as Troglodillo, has its own care guide.

Choosing Your First Cubaris

The practical breakdown, in the order most keepers should approach it:

• New to the genus: any Cubaris murina variant - Little Sea, Glacier, Papaya or Mandarin. Forgiving, rewarding, and cheap enough that a mistake isn't painful.
• Your first premium Cubaris: Pak Chong, White Shark, Cappuccino, or one of the Panda Kings. Premium looks, meaningfully more forgiving husbandry than the strictest species in the genus.
• You want to actually see them: Red Edge Blonde (day-active), Citrus Panda King, or Yellow Tiger. Most Cubaris hide; these don't, as much.
• The collector's tier: Rubber Ducky, classic Panda King, White Shark - the iconic species that define the premium end of the hobby. Worth doing, once your husbandry is solid.

Browse the full range in our Cubaris collection, or read up on the Rubber Ducky specifically before you commit to one.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the different types of Cubaris?
Four groups: the premium Thai forms (Rubber Ducky, White Shark, Pak Chong and similar), the Vietnamese Panda King family, the far more forgiving Cubaris murina variants, and the "Soil Isopods" - first sold as Cubaris and now mostly sold as Troglodillo, a different genus.

Are Soil Isopods really Cubaris?
Probably not. They were first traded as "Cubaris sp. Soil Isopods", and most sellers now list them as Troglodillo, a separate genus, though no scientific identification has been published. They're excellent animals and easy to keep, but they probably aren't Cubaris and shouldn't be sold as such. The described species of Troglodillo are known mainly from caves in southern China and northern Thailand, which is not a claim anyone has checked for the animals in the tubs.

What is the easiest Cubaris to keep?
The Cubaris murina variants - Little Sea, Glacier, Papaya, Mandarin. They're a cosmopolitan tropical species rather than a cave specialist, so they tolerate a far wider range of conditions and breed more readily than the premium species. Start here.

What is the most expensive Cubaris?
The premium Thai forms command the highest prices, with Rubber Ducky the most famous. Slow breeding, small broods and demanding husbandry keep supply tight while demand stays high.

What is the difference between Cubaris and Armadillidium?
Different genera in different families: Cubaris in Armadillidae, Armadillidium in Armadillidiidae. Armadillidium are temperate European pill bugs - hardy, cheap, and happy at UK room temperature. Cubaris are tropical species needing warmth, high humidity and calcium-rich substrate, and they breed far more slowly.

Are Cubaris good for beginners?
As a genus, no - but the murina group is a genuine exception and makes a reasonable first tropical isopod. The premium Thai and Vietnamese forms are best left until you've kept something hardier successfully for six months or so.