Isopod Cultures For Sale | NEHERP - Your One Stop Viv Shop!

Live Isopod Cultures: Armadillidium Species

Our largest & most sought after species of Isopods

Isopoda Armadillidium maculatum 'Chocolate'

Armadillidium maculatum Armadillidium maculatum 'Chocolate' Armadillidium sp. 'Montenegro'
Click to show Isopods on a natural background

Armadillidium maculatum Armadillidium maculatum 'Chocolate' Armadillidium sp. 'Montenegro'
Click to show Isopods on a white background

NEHERP Staff Description:
These are the largest Isopods we work with, approaching 5/8in in length. Species in this genus are able to roll into a ball when they are disturbed, which helps to protect their soft underbelly while only exposing their harder shell. This behavior has earned them the common names "Roly Poly" and "Pillbug". Unlike our smaller varieties, these reproduce significantly slower and are far less common in the hobby. Although they perform the same function as any other Isopod we carry in a live vivarium environment, Armadillidium species seem to be more commonly kept as pets by invertebrate enthusiasts. If they'll be used as a detritivore within a vivarium designed for another primary inhabitant, we strongly recommend allowing extra time to ensure they can establish a large enough population. Otherwise, these are a great choice for those who are looking to build a micro-vivarium with Isopods as the primary inhabitant. Continue reading...

About Armadillidium maculatum:
These are affectionately known as "Zebra Pillbugs" within the hobby. Their blackish-gray & white striping stands out on any vivarium substrate. They seem to explore enclosures without much shyness, and tend to stay in view once a population is established. They tend to explore more when humidity is high & there are a few dimly lit areas available to them. An awesome choice for those looking for a starter Isopod Pet.

About Armadillidium maculatum 'Chocolate':
These are hand-selected Armadillidium maculatum which have been line bred for a dark brown coloration. Available Isopods are bred from a line which was separated from one of our cultures in early 2017 by a young student team member of ours who took the project on as an experiment, after he'd seen line-bred Isopods being talked about on social media. Unexpectedly cool stuff! This is an ongoing project which is constantly improving.

About Armadillidium klugii 'Montenegro':
Commonly referred to as "Clown Isopods" by enthusiasts. These are some of the more rare Isopods in the hobby today, and are the "newest to the hobby" species that we currently offer. Young individuals have slightly more drab coloration with the top row of spots being white/gray in color. As the Isopods mature, their skirt coloration seems to become brighter orange, and the white/gray row of spots turns to bright yellow.

A. maculatum 'Zebra' A. maculatum 'Chocolate' A. klugii 'Montenegro'

$27.99/ea Culture

15% Off!
$23.79/ea Culture

15 Individuals Of Mixed Ages Per Culture

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A. maculatum 'Zebra' A. maculatum 'Chocolate' A. klugii 'Montenegro'

$29.99/ea Culture

15% Off!
$25.49/ea Culture

15 Individuals Of Mixed Ages Per Culture

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A. maculatum 'Zebra' A. maculatum 'Chocolate' A. klugii 'Montenegro'

$74.99/ea Culture

25% Off!
$56.24/ea Culture

15 Individuals Of Mixed Ages Per Culture

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Live Isopod Cultures: Dwarf Species

Beneficial detritivore microfauna for live Vivariums & more

Beneficial microfauna for live vivariums

"Dwarf Gray"
Nagurus cristatus "Dwarf Purple"
Isopoda Sp. 'Dwarf Purple' "Dwarf White"
Trichorhina tomentosa
Click to show Isopods on a natural background

"Dwarf Gray"
Nagurus cristatus
"Dwarf Purple"
Isopoda Sp. 'Dwarf Purple' "Dwarf White"
Trichorhina tomentosa
Click to show Isopods on a white background

NEHERP Staff Description:
The 'Dwarf Isopod' label applied to these varieties stems from the hobby, and doesn't reflect an official taxonomic rank. These Isopods are just under 1/4in long as adults, and are the smallest varieties we offer. Younger specimens are only slightly larger than common Springtails (Collembola), making them more difficult to spot than their larger cousins. These Isopods are our top-choice for use as a cleanup crew within a live vivarium housing most inhabitant species. They reproduce fairly quickly, are easy to manage, and seem to be active both day and night. We consider Dwarf Isopods to be suitable for all tropical & temperate enclosures which have fairly moist (not necessarily wet) substrate, and a minimum of 50% relative humidity. In addition to being kept as pets & utilized as detritivores within live vivarium environments, these dwarf species are sometimes offered as feeders for small insectivores. Dwarf varieties seem to reproduce fastest when kept between 70-80F, but they will survive in both higher and lower temperatures. Continue reading...

About The "Asst" Option:
The "Assorted" (Breeder's Choice) option is our best deal on a healthy Dwarf Isopod culture. With this selection, you'll receive one of the three Dwarf Isopod species we carry. This option allows us to pull from whichever species is most plentiful at the time, which helps ensure we can keep up with demand. For being flexible and selecting this option, we're able to provide you with the lower price (5-10% off!) on the culture. :-)

If you'll be using Isopods for a live vivarium & don't have a strong preference one way or the other, this will be your best bet since all three of these species perform the same task.

About Dwarf Gray Isopods:
We consider Dwarf Gray Isopods (Nagurus cristatus) a tropical species. These are frequently found in tropical greenhouses, which has earned them the colloquial name of "Greenhouse Woodlouse". The line we work with was actually unexpectedly sourced from a shipment of tropical plants from Florida back in 2012, and we've been told these are a native species from that area. From From what we've been told, it seems that Nagurus cristatus is actually a parthenogenetic species. (All female, producing asexually) This variety seems to reproduce a slightly slower than our other dwarf Isopods, so they are available less often. These are also called "Dwarf Striped Isopods".

About Dwarf Purple Isopods:
Adult Dwarf Purple Isopods seem to have a slightly purple/brown hue. (Well illustrated in this example photo) We've found that they are happy to explore upper regions of backgrounds & wood decor, so long as there is enough moisture present within the enclosure. There has been debate within the hobby for years about the official name for this species, but we aren't confident enough to post one way or another. We've seen them colloquially referred to as "Costa Rican Purple Isopods", "Jungle Purple Isopods", and a handful of other names. If you have information on the official species name of these Isopods, please let us know. We'd love to learn!

About Dwarf White Isopods:
Like the purple variety, Trichorhina tomentosa are also keen on venturing upward within a moist enclosure, and can sometimes be found on backgrounds & other hardscape decor. They are the easiest dwarf variety to spot due to their coloration. (Here's another decent closeup photo) We're told their native range extends from North to South America. Dwarf White Isopods are among the most commonly utilized & easiest to keep species in the live vivarium hobby. Other colloquial names for these include "Dwarf Tropical Woodlice", "Tropical White Isopods", "Dwarf White Sowbugs", and "Dwarf White Woodlice".

Dwarf Sp. (Asst) Dwarf Gray Dwarf Purple Dwarf White

$13.99/ea Culture

15% Off!
$11.89/ea Culture

15 Individuals Of Mixed Ages Per Culture
★ Dwarf Isopods are up to 25% cheaper in Substrate Kits! ★

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Dwarf Sp. (Asst) Dwarf Gray Dwarf Purple Dwarf White

$14.99/ea Culture

15% Off!
$12.74/ea Culture

15 Individuals Of Mixed Ages Per Culture
★ Dwarf Isopods are up to 25% cheaper in Substrate Kits! ★

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Dwarf Sp. (Asst) Dwarf Gray Dwarf Purple Dwarf White

$14.99/ea Culture

15% Off!
$12.74/ea Culture

15 Individuals Of Mixed Ages Per Culture
★ Dwarf Isopods are up to 25% cheaper in Substrate Kits! ★

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Dwarf Sp. (Asst) Dwarf Gray Dwarf Purple Dwarf White

$14.99/ea Culture

15% Off!
$12.74/ea Culture

15 Individuals Of Mixed Ages Per Culture
★ Dwarf Isopods are up to 25% cheaper in Substrate Kits! ★

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Live Isopod Cultures: Porcellio scaber

Beneficial detritivore microfauna for live Vivariums & more

Beneficial microfauna for live vivariums

Porcellio scaber P. scaber 'Dalmation' P. scaber 'Spanish Orange'
Click to show Isopods on a natural background

Porcellio scaber P. scaber 'Dalmation' P. scaber 'Spanish Orange'
Click to show Isopods on a white background

NEHERP Staff Description:

This is one seriously prolific little Isopod which has established populations on every continent except for Antarctica. Adults grow to around 3/4in long, making them significantly larger than the Dwarf varieties we work with. While there are a few Isopod enthusiasts keeping these as pets, we've found that the majority of our clients utilize Porcellio scaber as detritivores within live Vivariums & other enclosures which would benefit from their company. We consider this species an excellent choice for all temperate & tropical live vivariums (50-95% relative humidity) which house medium or large inhabitants. (Over 6-7in long) Colloquial names for this widespread species include "Rough Woodlouse", "Common Woodlouse", and "European Woodlouse". Porcellio species can't roll into a ball like their Armadillidium cousins. We keep these between 70-84F, and provide a slightly moist substrate at all times. It's especially important to provide a source of leaf litter when keeping this species, since hungry individuals can sometimes turn on live plants when their preferred food source runs short. If Porcellio scaber Isopods begin munching on plants in your enclosure while plenty of leaf litter is available (this is extremely uncommon), we recommend offering more nutrient rich foods (Repashy Bug Burger or Repashy Morning Wood). Continue reading...

All three of the varieties we work with (natural/wild type, 'Dalmation', and 'Spanish Orange') are different lines of the same species (P. scaber). For that reason, the care recommendations & behavioral analysis above applies to all three varieties. There are over 190 species of Porcellio, and we look forward to working with new types in the future.

Porcellio scaber P. scaber 'Dalmation' P. scaber 'Spanish Orange'

$14.99/ea Culture

15% Off!
$12.74/ea Culture

15 Individuals Of Mixed Ages Per Culture

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Porcellio scaber P. scaber 'Dalmation' P. scaber 'Spanish Orange'

$24.99/ea Culture

15% Off!
$21.24/ea Culture

15 Individuals Of Mixed Ages Per Culture

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Porcellio scaber P. scaber 'Dalmation' P. scaber 'Spanish Orange'

$23.99/ea Culture

15% Off!
$20.39/ea Culture

15 Individuals Of Mixed Ages Per Culture

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Heat Notice

Perishable Guarantee Graph For Warm Temperatures

We ship year-round, but you may need to select express shipping to qualify for our healthy arrival guarantee, depending on your location & the temperatures between us. Read More...Clients who live within one transit day of our shop can select ground (default) shipping when temps are as high as 95F. Clients in more distant locations will need to select express shipping to qualify for our live arrival guarantee if conditions are above 85F. All orders are carefully packed and will include include free non-toxic ice pack(s) regardless of shipping method, but perishables ordered without using a guaranteed shipping method will be sent at the client's risk. Please use our Perishable Shipping Tool (below) to see which shipping method is necessary to qualify for a live arrival guarantee. Hide this warning...

Freeze Notice

Perishable Guarantee Graph For Cold Temperatures

We ship year-round, but you may need to select express shipping to qualify for our healthy arrival guarantee, depending on your location & the temperatures between us. Read More...Clients who live within one transit day of our shop can select ground (default) shipping when temps are as low as 20F. Clients in more distant locations will need to select express shipping to qualify for our live arrival guarantee if conditions are below 45F. All orders are carefully packed and will include include free 40-hour heat pack(s) regardless of shipping method, but perishables ordered without using a guaranteed shipping method will be sent at the client's risk. Please use our Perishable Shipping Tool (below) to see which shipping method is necessary to qualify for a live arrival guarantee. Hide this warning...

Perishable Shipping Guarantee

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Your Perishable Shipping Guarantee

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What's the lowest expected temp between our locations?

What's the highest expected temp between our locations?

< 20^°F 20-45^°F 45-85^°F 85-95^°F 95^°F+

(Check temps using the temperature map feature above)

What's the coldest expected temp over the next few days?

What's the warmest expected temp over the next few days?

< 20^°F 20-45^°F 45-85^°F 85-95^°F 95^°F+

(Check temps using the temperature map feature above)

Conditions Are Considered Extreme

★ Possible Order Hold Due to Temperatures ★
40-Hour Heat Pack(s): Included Free ✓
Non-Toxic Ice Pack(s): Included Free ✓
⇓ See Paragraphs Below For Info ⇓

Standard Shipping Not Recommended

It is very unlikely your plants will survive if shipped using standard service in these temperatures, and we don't recommend it! You can choose to take that risk by selecting Standard shipping during checkout (the default option), but we won't be able to replace or refund any items if they arrive damaged. If you are ordering a bunch of heavier supplies and perishables, it's often cheaper to place two separate orders so that the supplies can cheaply ship ground while the smaller perishable box ships express. Sorry, but we do not offer "hold for safe window" service when standard shipping is selected in temperatures this extreme.

Express Shipping

Please select express shipping during checkout, to give your perishables the best chance of survival. We aren't able to offer our guarantee when temperatures are below 20^°Fabove 95^°F, so our team will hold your order in anticipation of the soonest safe shipping window. If your order is held, we'll email you ASAP to work out a safer shipping schedule & discuss your options. Depending on your input, we'll either ship now (if you don't mind the risk), or hold/reserve for the next available safe (guaranteed) temperature window. We check the weather every morning when we open up, so we'll be sure to ship your order as soon as we safely can. Express-shipped orders which need to be held due to weather have their products reserved and hold their place in the outgoing order queue. (It's "first come, first served" once we're able to ship!) Only express-shipped orders qualify for our "hold for safe window" service when temperatures are this extreme.

An Express shipping quote is available on the last page of checkout before finalizing payment.

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★ Select Express Shipping To Qualify For Our Guarantee ★

Express Shipping: Guaranteed Live Arrival ✓
Standard Ground Shipping: No Guarantee ✗
40-Hour Heat Pack(s): Included Free ✓
Non-Toxic Ice Pack(s): Included Free ✓

Please select express shipping during checkout if you'd like to qualify for our live arrival guarantee. Orders shipped using standard service in temperatures like these don't carry a live arrival guarantee, and we don't recommend it unless you feel comfortable taking that risk. If you are ordering a bunch of heavier supplies and perishables, it's often cheaper to place two separate orders so that the supplies can ship (inexpensive) ground while the perishables ship express.

An Express shipping quote is available on the last page of checkout before finalizing payment.

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★ Live Arrival Guaranteed For All Shipping Methods ★

Express Shipping: Guaranteed Live Arrival ✓
Standard Shipping: Guaranteed Live Arrival ✓

Since temperatures are so mild right now, we're able to guarantee live arrival using whatever shipping method you choose. Pretty sweet, eh?
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Conditions Are Considered Extreme

* Possible Order Hold Due to Temperatures *
Express Shipping: Guaranteed Live Arrival ✓
Ground/Standard: Guaranteed Live Arrival ✓
40-Hour Heat Pack(s): Included Free ✓
Non-Toxic Ice Pack(s): Included Free ✓
Local Alternative Option: Scheduled Order Pickup

You live within a 1-day ground transit zone, so standard shipping is an appropriate option to select during checkout. We aren't able to guarantee shipments when temperatures are below 20^°Fabove 95^°F, so our team will temporarily hold your order in hopes that a slightly safer temperature window will develop. In that event, we'll email you ASAP to work out a safer shipping schedule & discuss your options. Orders which need to be held due to weather have their products reserved and hold their place in the outgoing order queue. (It's "first come, first served" once we're able to ship!)If you don't mind the drive, you could also pick up your order and save on the shipping cost while mitigating all the associated risks. :-)

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★ Live Arrival Guaranteed For All Shipping Methods ★

Express Shipping: Guaranteed Live Arrival ✓
Ground/Standard: Guaranteed Live Arrival ✓
40-Hour Heat Pack(s) Included Free! Non-Toxic Ice Pack(s) Included Free!

We recommend using inexpensive standard shipping! Since you live so close, you qualify for our best shipping guarantee at the lowest cost pretty much year-round. So long as temperatures stay between 20-85^°F, we guarantee all shipments will arrive to you in great shape regardless of shipping method. :-) Plus, you'll get everything you order pretty quickly since it only takes a day in transit!

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Order Processing Schedule

We ship quickly & safely!
Processing Shedule

Important: We do our best to ship supply orders the same or next business day. Plant orders have a 1-3 day processing time, while orders containing other perishables carry a 1-day processing time. Orders containing perishables are carefully scheduled to avoid potentially harmful weekend delays with shipping companies. If you order before a weekend with a shipping option which wouldn't arrive by Friday, your order will likely ship the following Monday. View our full Order Processing Page for complete info.

Expected temps over the next 6 days:

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Live Isopod Cultures: Armadillidium Species

Our largest & most sought after species of Isopods

Live Isopod Cultures: Dwarf Species

Beneficial detritivore microfauna for live Vivariums & more

Beneficial microfauna for live vivariums

Live Isopod Cultures: Porcellio scaber

Beneficial detritivore microfauna for live Vivariums & more

Beneficial microfauna for live vivariums

Heat Notice

Freeze Notice

Perishable Shipping Guarantee

Your Perishable Shipping Guarantee

Are you located within 1 transit day from us?

What's the lowest expected temp between our locations?

What's the highest expected temp between our locations?

What's the coldest expected temp over the next few days?

What's the warmest expected temp over the next few days?

Conditions Are Considered Extreme

★ Select Express Shipping To Qualify For Our Guarantee ★

★ Live Arrival Guaranteed For All Shipping Methods ★

Conditions Are Considered Extreme

★ Live Arrival Guaranteed For All Shipping Methods ★

Order Processing Schedule

Expected temps over the next 6 days:

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