Ember Bee Isopods (Ardentiella sp.)

In five years of keeping isopods - and more than two decades keeping reptiles and other exotics before that - few species stop me in my tracks quite like the Ember Bee. The name is well earned: jet-black legs and underside give way to a body streaked in molten yellow, red and orange, so a group moving through leaf litter really does look like bees rising out of hot embers. They are big, they are vivid, and unusually for their group they are genuinely active and inquisitive, forever out exploring rather than hiding away. Every Ember Bee we send is captive-bred here in the UK.

Introduction

The Ember Bee is a Vietnamese isopod correctly known as Ardentiella sp. "Ember Bee" - though you will still see it widely traded under its former genus name, Merulanella sp. "Ember Bee", as the group was only recently reclassified from Merulanella to Ardentiella. Whichever label you meet it under, it is the same animal, and one of the larger and more forgiving species in a group otherwise known for being demanding. It also throws several striking morphs, which is part of why it has become such a prized species among collectors and breeders. You will find the rest of the genus in our Ardentiella collection.

Appearance

This is a large, showy isopod. Adults reach up to around 2 cm, bigger than most, with a jet-black underside and legs setting off a boldly banded body in yellow, red and orange. No two are patterned exactly alike, and the contrast against dark substrate is genuinely striking. Like others in the family they can conglobate, rolling into a ball when startled, but you will see far less of that than you might expect - Ember Bees are among the most surface-active and exploratory isopods in the hobby, which makes them a rewarding display animal as well as a beautiful one.

Care

Ember Bees are a tropical species and want warmth and humidity to match their Vietnamese origins - think of their care as close to a cave-type Cubaris. Aim for around 22-26°C, which in most UK homes means a thermostat-controlled heat mat under one side of the enclosure for part of the year, and a high humidity of roughly 70-90%. The balance to strike is humid but breathing: pair that moisture with genuine ventilation, because stagnant, waterlogged air is what kills this kind of isopod. Give them a deep substrate to burrow into, built around a nutritious base of flake soil, white-rotted hardwood and organic topsoil rather than coco coir, which holds moisture but offers nothing for an animal that feeds on its substrate. Keep a calcium source such as cuttlebone or crushed limestone available at all times. Everything you need is in our accessories range, and our substrate guide and complete Cubaris care guide both apply closely here.

Diet

Ember Bees are detritivores, and the foundation of the diet is leaf litter and decaying white wood, kept topped up as it is eaten. Round it out with the occasional vegetable, a little protein such as fish flake or dried shrimp now and then, and forest botanicals like moss and lichen, which they relish. A permanent calcium source supports healthy moulting - our calcium guide runs through the options - and you should remove any uneaten fresh food promptly so it does not mould in the humid enclosure. Our guide to what isopods eat covers the full diet.

Breeding

As one of the more forgiving members of its group, the Ember Bee is among the more achievable Ardentiella to breed - though, like most of the genus, it rewards patience. Kept warm, humid and undisturbed, with food and calcium always available, an established group will produce young that emerge as tiny, fully-formed mancae. Stability is everything: hold conditions steady, resist the urge to keep checking on them, and let the colony settle into its rhythm.

Who is this for?

The Ember Bee suits an intermediate keeper - someone who has kept a hardier species and is ready to provide a little supplemental heat and steady humidity for something genuinely special. It is not a first isopod, and it is not for anyone after a hands-off colony, but for a keeper who wants a large, vivid, active centrepiece it is hard to beat. Alongside it, the equally striking Scarlet is a fine second Ardentiella, and if you are drawn to tropical cave-type species our best-selling Rubber Ducky is a natural companion.

Every colony is captive-bred from established UK stock and ships under our live arrival guarantee, sent in a double-walled box with sphagnum moss in a ventilated deli tub. We dispatch Monday to Thursday so nothing sits in the postal system over a weekend.