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Cubaris Sp. Rubber Bee is a medium sized isopod from Thailand with a flashy tricolor appearance valued by collectors and hobbyist alike. They have a bright yellow face followed by a deep navy to black midsection complimented with a white to off white color on their rumps. Rubber Bees are an endearing species and tend to be more day active than most of their other Cubaris cousins.  A 6 quart gasket sealed storage bin or small glass aquarium with tight fitting lid is beyond sufficient for a small starter culture of 6-10 individuals and could comfortably accommodate about 30-40 individuals until something larger may be needed. Standard or bioactive enclosures can be enhanced with natural botanical items to simulate the isopods habitat in the wild. This helps them feel secure which in turn promotes their natural processes like eating and breeding. These isopods are a sub tropical to tropical species so they do prefer it on the warmer side. 72F to 80F is their comfort zone. Small deviations in temperature are not detrimental, but do whatever you need based on your enclosure set up to avoid large swings in either direction as they typically do not fare well with large sudden changes. They also don't need a defined moisture gradient like most other isopods. Their native environments are warmer temperatures and higher humidity most times of the year. The soil should be mostly moist but not soggy! A very small moisture gradient in our experience has worked well. Just ensure neither side gets anywhere remotely close to dry. Our breeder tank is best described as "moist side and slightly less moist side". A few pieces of cork bark strategically placed will help retain the humidity levels and reduce the frequency of watering needed to maintain a reasonably consistent humidity. Do also provide a deeper substrate as they like to burrow sometimes. Depth should be a minimum 4-6 inches. Deeper substrates will also retain water longer so this goes hand in hand with humidity needs. Isopods are detritivores. Their primary diet in nature is leaf litter and decayed wood. Both of these should always be available in abundance. They will also happily consume any other decomposing organic plant or animal matter they come across. As such it is vital to supplement your isopods with other food sources on a semi regular basis. They enjoy food options like squash, radishes, carrots and other veggies along with commercial isopod powdered food like Repashy. They also need some occasional protein in their diets which can be things like freeze dried minnows, shrimp, fish pellets, dried insects and other protein based food sources. Be sure to feed these on the drier side as they can spoil quickly in humid environments and attract unwanted pests. Rubber Bees are noted to be fond of limestone, mirroring the caves and rocky areas they naturally occur. The Rubber Bee isopod is a generally slow to moderate breeder and requires a strict care regimen to thrive. Providing the environment they need is not hard, the only challenge is keeping it consistent and not allowing parameters to swing too far in short periods of time. But if you can get them dialed in properly and maintain that, they will do well with patience and time. Once momentum is set, they will reproduce readily nearly year round and deliver plenty of wows with their dazzling colors! Quick Facts Origin: Thailand Classification: Armadillidiidae > Cubaris > Cubaris Sp. > Snow Bee Characteristics: Flashy tricolor appearance. Modestly prolific once established. Activity Level: Primarily nocturnal and active at night. Very shy and seldom seen during daylight hours. Average Size: 0.50" to "0.60" Care Level: Intermediate  

First and foremost be aware this is a DWARF isopod species. This means it is SMALL. Average adult size is about 1/4 inch or 6 to 8 mm. If you already know this obvious fact or it's not a deal breaker then read on. Cubaris Sp. White Shark is a beginner friendly Cubaris species that has exceptionally exquisite colors that might make you think twice about passing this gem up due to it's smaller size. They have sequential sections of orange, black and white and are absolutely fascinating little creatures. As with all other isopods, the color intensity and sections varies to some degree per isopod. On some the black may be more of a navy blue and the orange might be reddish-orange. These are living creatures and not manufactured merchandise so please understand this fact of genetics and small variations. White Sharks are among the few in the Cubaris genus that are actually not exceedingly sensitive or difficult to keep. While most if not all Cubaris isopods do have some extra needs, the White Shark is a bit more tolerant and not as likely to die out quickly if parameters go astray for a short period of time. Their husbandry is very straight forward and on par with other Cubaris like Panda King or any Murina type. A 6 quart gasket sealed storage bin or small glass aquarium is beyond sufficient for a small starter culture. You don't want to start off with much bigger than this unless you are getting or already have a large number of White Sharks on hand. Being dwarf isopods, if they are too spread out it will take much longer for them to find each other and start reproducing. Conversely you don't want too small either as environmental changes in a very small space happen much faster which isn't a good thing for this and most other isopod types. Standard or bioactive enclosures can be enhanced with natural botanical items to simulate the isopods habitat in the wild. This helps them feel secure which in turn promotes their natural processes like eating and breeding. Average room temperature will suit them just fine but keep in mind they are native to tropical to sub tropical areas so so do not let it get too cool. A good temperature range is 72-80F leaning more towards the warmer end if possible. White Sharks do not need a pronounced moisture gradient like most other isopods. A small gradient is fine, but a consistent lightly damp (not wet) enclosure is ideal. They will not fare well if allowed to get any level of dry. A 75% humidity level without large deviations will give you fantastic results. A few pieces of cork bark strategically placed over different parts of the enclosure will help retain the humidity levels and reduce the frequency of watering needed to maintain a proper moisture gradient. They do like to burrow so make sure your substrate is at least 3-4 inches deep. This also helps if things start to get dry on the top layer. They will simply dig down where there is more moisture until conditions on the surface are more to their liking. Isopods are detritivores. Their primary diet in nature is dried leaf litter and decayed wood. Both of these should always be available in abundance. They will also happily consume any other decomposing organic plant or animal matter they come across. As such it is vital to supplement your isopods with other food sources on a semi regular basis. White Sharks enjoy food options like squash, carrots, cucumbers and other veggies along with commercial isopod powdered food like Repashy Morning Wood. They also tend to be protein hungry so offer them things like freeze dried minnows, shrimp, fish pellets, dried insects and other protein based food sources. Be sure to feed these on the drier side as they can spoil quickly in humid environments and attract unwanted pests. As with most any other Cubaris isopod, it's recommended to have some limestone in their enclosure. This mimics their natural cave environments and they do seem to enjoy it. This can be in the form of crushed pellets they can nibble or small light weight stones they can crawl on and hide under. In our experience either will work, but our pods seem to enjoy Texas holy rock. Some cuttle bone pieces are always a welcome treat as well. While this desirable Cubaris isopod is not extremely difficult to keep, it still does require a bit more care than most common isopods. Though they are very small, in high numbers they are generally more visible which means you can enjoy and appreciate their beautiful coloration. A small piece of carrot placed in their enclosure will end up "caked" with adults and babies feasting and is a great way to observe them without stressing them by digging around to find them. They can be seen to some extent during the day, but they are primarily nocturnal. They tend to scatter when disturbed and quickly hide. The best time to observe them is at night when they are naturally active and foraging for food. They are typically on the slow side to reproduce, but once established they will be fairly prolific on a regular basis. A dozen or so within a matter of 2-3 months can quickly multiply long as their care is proper and consistent. Quick Facts Origin: Thailand Classification: Armadillidiidae > Cubaris > Cubaris Sp. > White Shark Average Size: 1/3" to 1/4" inch Activity level: Primarily nocturnal and active at night Care Level: Intermediate

Porcellio Hoffmanseggi is nearly the largest land isopod that exists today. Bested in size only by it's cousin Porcellio Magnificus. Hoffmannseggi isopods are sometimes referred to as "titans" and once you've handled one it's easy to see why. Their antennae can be just as long if not longer than their body length. They are generally a light to medium gray with a nice white edged skirt giving them good visual contrast. Full grown males on average reach 1.5 inches with females only slightly smaller. With that said, they need generous space. Males can be territorial and an off balance ratio of males to females can result in fighting along with the females being "harassed" which causes stress and other potential issues. A sterilite gasket sealed bin or glass tank measuring at least 18-24 long by 12 or more inches wide is ideal for a starter colony with some room to grow. Enclosures can be enhanced with natural botanical items to simulate the isopods habitat in the wild. This helps them feel secure which in turn promotes their natural processes like eating and breeding. The preferred temperature range for P. Hoffmanseggi is 68-76F. Moisture gradient and ventilation is where the potential challenging aspect of this species comes into play. They do best in a drier set up than most typical isopods but still need a moist area or two to avoid desiccating. If your set up is large enough, a few different areas that vary in this way can be beneficial. Such as having two separate moist corners and some dry area in between. They will often migrate between moist and dry areas at different times of the day to facilitate their biological processes as needed. A second layer of needs that further makes them a little more involved is that they need medium to high ventilation. This is easiest achieved with an enclosure that has some level of height up and away from the substrate. In the areas that are to be moist, the substrate can be a bit deeper which in turn retains humidity longer. A few pieces of cork bark strategically placed over some of the moist side will also help retain the humidity levels and reduce the frequency of watering needed to maintain a proper moisture gradient. They also seem to appreciate some stacked cork bark which gives them another dimension to regulate their moisture needs by climbing higher away from the substrate. Isopods are detritivores. Their primary diet in nature is leaf litter and decayed wood. Both of these should always be available in abundance. They will also happily consume any other decomposing organic plant or animal matter they come across. As such it is vital to supplement your isopods with other food sources on a semi regular basis. They enjoy food options like squash, radishes, carrots and other veggies along with commercial isopod powdered food like Repashy. Being a Porcellio, they do appreciate some protein occasionally which can be things like freeze dried minnows, shrimp, fish pellets, dried insects and other protein based food sources. Be sure to feed these on the drier side as they can spoil quickly in humid environments and attract unwanted pests. It should also be noted it's highly recommended to have some form of calcium available at all times. As these unique isopods naturally occur in the limestone caves of eastern Spain, they spend all of their lives in such environments and the closer your set up can mimic their natural surroundings, the better your chance of success. Hoffs are a rewarding species to keep and never fail to impress with their sheer size. Though they are mostly hidden by day, if you look in on them after the lights have been out for a short time, you will see them fully out and about foraging for food and exploring their surroundings. There are some color variants in the hobby like chocolate, albino and even an orange version! Hoffs do require a little more care and upkeep than some other types but watching your own colony of titans grow and flourish is well worth the effort! Quick Facts Origin: Spain Taxonomy: Porcellionidae > Porcellio > P. Hoffmannseggii Size: Up to 1.50 inches Activity level: Primarily nocturnal Difficulty: Intermediate