Armadillidium espanyoli 'Marbleized' Isopods

No two Marbleized are quite alike. Each one carries its own pattern of white marble-like veining across a dark body, so a colony is a set of individuals rather than a stamped-out crowd, some heavily marbled, others more subtle. Add an easy, forgiving Mediterranean constitution and a handy medium size, and Armadillidium espanyoli 'Marbleized' is one of the more rewarding patterned pillbugs you can keep. Every colony we send is captive-bred here in the UK.

Introduction

This is the 'Marbleized' form of Armadillidium espanyoli, a small-to-medium Spanish pillbug marked with white veining that genuinely reads like veined marble against the dark base. It keeps the hardy, forgiving nature of the Spanish Armadillidium, so the striking look does not come with demanding care, and it sits comfortably beside the other patterned Mediterranean species like the Zebra and the multicoloured Jelly Bean.

Appearance

A neat pillbug at around 14 to 16 mm, dark-bodied with white marble veining whose spread varies animal to animal, most striking under good light where the contrast really shows. It burrows rather than climbs, which makes it a secure, stay-put species that is not prone to escaping, and the marbling stays visible even when it rolls into a ball. Colour and pattern show from a young age and firm up with maturity.

Care

The one thing to get right is that this is a Mediterranean animal, not a tropical one. It wants moderate humidity, 50 to 70%, on a gradient rather than a uniformly damp tub, with one damp corner of sphagnum for moulting animals and the larger, drier part under leaf litter and bark where it spends most of its time. Constant wet is the main risk, so err drier and keep some airflow. Normal UK room temperature, 20 to 28°C, suits it without heating. Give a substrate of topsoil and flake soil with decaying hardwood and limestone through it for the calcium a well-armoured pillbug needs, plenty of cork bark to burrow under, and favour dried vegetable over fresh, since fresh food adds moisture this species would rather do without. Our notes on colour and morphs cover the selective side.

Diet and breeding

An unfussy detritivore: dried hardwood leaf litter and decaying wood as the constant base, small amounts of vegetable every few days, the occasional bit of fruit, and regular protein, with pollen also taken well. Keep a permanent calcium source for that heavily-calcified shell. Breeding is steady rather than quick, with a fairly long gestation of around 60 days, so a new colony takes a few weeks to settle before it gets going and then builds reliably. Give it stable conditions, the moisture gradient and good cover, and let it establish. A springtail culture keeps the damp corner clean.

Who is this for?

The Marbleized suits the keeper who wants a genuinely handsome patterned isopod without exotic care, the display keeper after a secure, non-climbing species, and the collector of Mediterranean Armadillidium next to the granular granulatum. It is a poor fit for a uniformly wet tropical setup or anyone who cannot resist over-moistening; if you are brand new, the hardy Dairy Cow is an easier first colony.

Every colony is captive-bred from established UK stock and ships under our live arrival guarantee, in a ventilated deli tub with a damp sphagnum corner inside a double-walled box. We post Monday to Thursday by Royal Mail next day before 1pm, with a 20% overcount included. Setup kit is in our accessories range.