Jupiter Isopods (Cubaris sp.) are a captivating addition to any terrarium, known for their unique black and yellow exoskeleton that resembles the planet Jupiter. Native to the limestone caves of Southeast Asia, these small, low-maintenance isopods thrive in humid environments and are ideal for beginners. With their calm nature and slow breeding habits, they make a striking and manageable choice for isopod enthusiasts, perfect for both display and care.

A Glimpse

●      Origin: Thailand

●      Scientific Name: Cubaris sp. "Jupiter Isopods"

●      Maintenance required: low

●      Average Size: 2 cm

●      Rarity: medium

●      Lifespan: 2-3 years

●      Temperature: 64℉-79℉

●      Ventilation: Low

●      Humidity: 60-80%

●      Favorite food: Carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes

●      Supplements: Crushed limestone, Cuttlefish bone

Jupiter Isopods: Introduction

These roly polys, like other cubaris isopods, are found in limestone caves of Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. These have a very calm temperament and is a great beginner-friendly isopods. They are active during early morning and nighttime, so you can watch these critters move around exploring the terrarium during that time. They may be similar to the lemon blue isopods, but these species have a black color on the exoskeleton and not blue.

Jupiter Isopods: Physical Traits and Characteristics

●      These small roly polys are one of the morphs of Cubaris sp. isopods. Their color resembles the planet Jupiter, hence the name.

●      Have small oval bodies that are segmented and have antennae. They have colorful legs in the front area, which makes them unique.

●      They have yellow outlines with black segmented exoskeletons. The colours of these species are due to the acidic nature of the soil in their native land.

●      The wax layer on their exoskeleton helps with hydration, and they molt when the isopods mature and grow.

●      Absolutely delightful and low-maintenance pets which are easy to take care of.

●      These species are egg-breeding type isopods and are slow breeders.

●      These pets are kid-friendly and beginner-friendly.

●      These species are striking and visually appealing, thus making a great addition to your terrarium and vivarium.

Diet

Like many isopods, these species' primary food sources are rotten leaves, plants, algae, and wooden bark. When culturing them in a terrarium or vivarium, make sure to provide a balanced diet of vegetables, meat, and calcium sources. If not, these creatures are prone to soft shell disease, which may affect molting and eventually perish.

Therefore, make sure to provide various types of vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots and even vegetable scraps. These species are not picky eaters and will eat almost everything that is given to them.

For protein you can include earthworm castings, fish scrap, meat scrap into their diet. Adding crushed limestone, eggshells or cuttlebone in their enclosure can improve their calcium intake and will strengthen their exoskeleton. Adin commercial isopod food mix can also help achieve the necessary nutrition for these tiny critters.

Make sure to provide portions that can be completed in a single session. Observe and provide food according to the size of the culture.

Jupiter Isopods: Personality

These species in general have a mild and non-aggressive nature. But when there are other creatures present, then they tend to be a little skittish. They tend to hide when they sense other creatures are present. They don't like to be picked up or touched unless necessary and they roll up and freeze when they feel threatened.

Though these creatures love to explore the environment and continue with their natural behaviors like foraging. They are not the best tankmates with other isopods or any other species and tend to attack if kept in a small enclosure. Therefore, it is crucial that there is space in the enclosure.

These species take their time to be friendly with their human parents. With trust and patience and also by feeding them their favorite food, these species can become friendly with humans.

Jupiter Isopods: Breeding

●      Jupiter isopods can lay eggs without any male isopods, i.e., they are parthenogenetic in nature. This phenomenon is quite common among the isopods.

●      They are seasonal breeders and have a slow reproduction rate compared to other species.

●      The procedure begins when the female produces an egg capsule. After that, she would usually lay the egg capsule in a damp, moist place.

●      The number of eggs in each capsule can range from one to twenty-one, depending on the species. It takes the baby isopods 6-7 weeks after hatching to mature into adults.

●      Once they hatch, they become independent and explore and forage food on their own.

●      The nymphs will molt around four times in their early lives. The Jupiter Isopods enter the reproductive cycle after reaching adulthood, and they can begin to procreate in around three weeks.

Jupiter Isopods: Tips to Make an Artificial Habitat

The Jupiter isopods prefer tropical climates with rich soil substrate and humidity. Providing a rich substrate mix that contains organic matter will help provide them with a more natural atmosphere for the enclosure. When choosing the enclosure, make sure that there is enough size for these species to breed and produce offspring. Therefore, it is crucial to get a 19-litre capacity plastic container as a starter for the enclosure. You can also opt for a bigger plastic enclosure of 38 litres.

Drill small ventilation outlets on the container and make sure that they are small. These species thrive in a humid environment thus small outlets help prevent excess humidity. Temperature within the enclosure should be maintained the same as specified in the description as constant change in temperature may cause stress to these species.

Add the substrate mix into the enclosure to make sure that there is enough thickness. A thickness of 2.5 inches is ideal for these species to dig and hide. Add sphagnum moss on one side of the enclosure. Make sure that they cover ⅓ of the container and mist the area with water. Leave the rest of the substrate dry, giving them the option to choose their environment.

When adding the substrate mix, make sure to mix dried leaves into it. Sprinkle some more on top of the substrate as well. Adding egg crates and rotten bark or coconut shells can act as hiding spots for the isopod colonies. Adding these hiding spots helps to differentiate each brood and colony and it reduces competition and dominance among other colonies.