Porcellio ornatus 'High Yellow' Isopods

For an isopod, the Ornatus has real front. Where most species bolt for cover the moment you lift the lid, this one carries on, ambling across the bark in plain sight, bright yellow markings stark against a dark grey body. Add a genuinely large size for a Porcellio and you have an isopod that actually does things worth watching. Every colony we send is captive-bred here in the UK.

Introduction

This is Porcellio ornatus 'High Yellow', a large Spanish Porcellio from the warm, dry Mediterranean. The 'High Yellow' name marks out the individuals with the strongest yellow within the species' natural colour range; this is a naturally occurring form rather than a captive-bred designer line, which is part of its appeal to keepers who like wild-type stock. The species throws several other natural morphs too, the spotted Nord and the Chocolate among them, so it rewards a collector. It sits with the other Spanish giants in the genus, near the Haasi High Yellow and the Titan.

Appearance

A big Porcellio, reaching 20 to 25 mm, in dark grey with bold yellow markings; intensity varies from animal to animal, and the strongest-yellow individuals are what the name selects for. It is a slow, deliberate mover rather than a darter, which makes it easy to watch, and the colour firms up with age and good feeding. Like all Porcellio it does not conglobate, relying on speed and on flattening itself rather than rolling into a ball.

Care

Ornatus is Mediterranean, so it wants the opposite of a humid Cubaris tub. Keep it on the drier side, 40 to 60% humidity, with genuinely high ventilation, and work a gradient: about a quarter of the enclosure damp in one corner and the rest noticeably drier, so the colony chooses its own exposure. Overwetting, not drought, is what harms them. Give a drier substrate of topsoil and flake soil with sand for drainage and plenty of depth to burrow, and be generous with calcium, several sources of cuttlebone, limestone and crushed shell, since a big, active isopod moulting often has a real demand for it. Our guide to the different types of Porcellio sets the group in context.

Diet

An active isopod with an appetite to match: a constant base of hardwood leaf litter and decaying wood, vegetable once or twice a week, and protein twice a week, since Porcellio underfed on protein will turn on each other. Keep several calcium sources available at all times, and set fresh food on the dry side so it does not spoil. A springtail culture helps around the damp corner.

Breeding

Ornatus breed at a steady, moderate pace rather than a boom, building reliably when the drier conditions and the feeding are right; sub-adults often start before they are fully grown. Give them warmth in range, the moisture gradient, constant calcium and regular protein, and keep the morphs apart if you want the High Yellow to breed true, since ornatus forms interbreed freely and the pattern washes out over generations otherwise.

Who is this for?

The Ornatus suits the keeper with a little experience who wants a big, bold, genuinely watchable isopod, the collector of Spanish Porcellio and their natural morphs, and anyone running a drier Mediterranean-style bioactive setup. It is a step up from the beginner species and a poor fit for a humid tropical tank or a setup that cannot ventilate; if you are new to Porcellio, learn on the Greek Shield or a hardy scaber first.

All stock is captive-bred here in the UK 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.