Citrus Panda King Isopods (Cubaris sp.)

There is a marmalade brightness to the Citrus Panda King that stops people mid-scroll. Where the standard Panda King wears black-and-white, the Citrus glows warm orange through to a deep citrus-red, often finished with a neat patch of white at the tail, the "white bum" the morph is known for. It is one of the cheeriest Cubaris on the shelf, and, being a Panda King at heart, one of the more forgiving cave species to keep. Every colony we send is captive-bred here in the UK.

Introduction

This is Cubaris sp. 'Citrus Panda King', a selectively bred orange colour form of the Vietnamese cave Panda King. It shares the group's origin in the limestone caves of Vietnam, and with it the group's real virtue: unlike most premium Cubaris, the Panda King family is genuinely approachable, more tolerant of a slip than the rarities and a reliable breeder once settled. The Citrus simply puts that on an eye-catching bright body.

Appearance

A small cave Cubaris in line with the rest of the Panda King group, rounded and neat, in saturated orange-to-citrus-red with the characteristic pale rear. Colour deepens over successive moults, so newly released young look paler before the orange comes through. Like the rest of the genus it conglobates into a tight ball when disturbed, and the bright colour holds whether it is active or curled.

Care

Care follows the standard Panda King, and it differs from the hardy European isopods in the ways every cave Cubaris does. It wants warmth, 18 to 26°C leaning warm, and consistent light dampness rather than a strong wet-to-dry gradient, kept humid but never waterlogged, with medium ventilation to keep the air from going stale. Overwetting is the one real risk, so aim for lightly damp and mist rather than soak. Build a deep substrate on organic topsoil, flake soil and white-rotted hardwood rather than coco coir, and be generous with limestone: a limestone-cave animal has a high calcium demand, and it feeds straight into moulting and breeding. Our calcium guide and complete Cubaris care guide cover it.

Diet

Leaf litter and decaying white wood are the base, kept topped up. Add small amounts of vegetable, the occasional soft fruit, and regular protein such as fish flake or dried shrimp, which supports breeding and heads off cannibalism, plus a permanent calcium source. Clear uneaten fresh food within a day or two so it does not turn in the warmth, and let a springtail culture manage the mould.

Breeding

The Citrus follows the Panda King pattern: slow to settle, then a genuinely prolific breeder. Give a new group stable warmth, steady dampness and constant calcium, leave it undisturbed to establish, and numbers build steadily from there. Young are released fully formed from the female's brood pouch and colour up as they grow. Keep the line pure if you want reliably orange offspring, away from the standard, Red and Pink morphs.

Who is this for?

The Citrus suits the keeper who wants bright colour without demanding husbandry, and the collector assembling the Panda King family in all its shades. It makes a sound first cave Cubaris and a stepping stone toward the rarities like the Rubber Ducky. It is not for a bone-dry setup, an over-waterer, or anyone needing constant visible activity from day one.

All stock is captive-bred here in the UK and travels under our live arrival guarantee, packed into a ventilated deli tub with damp sphagnum inside a double-walled box. We post Monday to Thursday by Royal Mail next day before 1pm, with a 20% overcount in every order.