Armadillidium ruffoi

Armadillidium ruffoi isopods for sale!

Native to the mountains of Italy, specifically the Province of Verona and is believed to have been collected in and around caves, but there is still not much known about this species.  They are also believed to be closely related to Armadillidium germanicum but still needs to be investigated further to be confirmed.  This species is not commonly offered in the US hobby and is rather rare to acquire.  They are slow to breed, possibly only seasonally and take time to populate, and do require a bit more monitoring than some other species.  The like about a 50/50 or 60/40 moist to dry gradient with heavy airflow, so you will need to be extra diligent that they don't dry out.  They are a very beautiful isopod with a wide grayish body, speckled in yellow dots and surrounded by a white flowy skirt.

Origin: Mountains of Italy/ Providence of Verona

Humidity: Semi-arid

Ventilation: Heavy (See our ventilation guide in the isopod care sheet under the "Care Sheets" tab.

Housing and Care:  A 6 quart shoe box or similar is sufficient to start a 10 count culture in and get established, and then will need to be moved to a larger enclosure once their population outgrows it. Provide a moisture gradient of about 50-60% moist and 40-50% dry. Use sphagnum moss on one end of the enclosure to help retain moisture between spraying (frequency of spraying will depend on amount of ventilation you provide and atmospheric conditions, just as long as the moss is always kept moist. Aim to spray down the sizes and make sure the water is reaching the bottom layer to make it last longer), a couple inches of substrate is sufficient, add a good amount of leaf litter, a hide such as cork bark or edible hardwood bark or both, a calcium source such as a cuttlefish bone, eggshell or calcium powder is a healthy addition for all isopod species. Rotting wood is also highly encouraged as well. You can supplementally feed them once a week with a small piece of sweet potato, carrot or squash and a protein source such as our own Gambit Grub, fish flakes, freeze dried shrimp/minnows or other commercialized isopod diet (small enough amount that they can consume it within 2 days to help minimize mites and mold.