How big are your Armadillidium vulgare?

B

Betta132

Sixth Instar
I have A. vulgare in two separate roach enclosures.

In my domino roach enclosure, the biggest I see are maybe 1cm long. This is about what I see in the wild populations around here in Texas, too. One that's 1cm long is pretty big compared to the rest.

In my peppered roach pen, though, I've got a few that are hitting 2cm. I didn't even know until now that they GOT that big. 

My best guess is, it's down to moisture. I'm in Texas, and it's not terribly moist here. I'm keeping my domino roach enclosure relatively dry, too, with just some damp patches. My peppered roach enclosure, though, is moist everywhere. I only have the three samples, though. 

Anyone else have A. vulgare? If so, how damp do you keep them, and how big do your biggest ones get?

 
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That's very interesting. I'm going to try to replicate that. I'm also in Texas and have seen some vulgares in the wild that are around 2cm long, but they're uncommon. I'll just have to go outside and pick some up

 
And they're definitely not from terribly different populations. I brought some in from outside a year or so ago, those bred in a terrarium, and then I moved a piece of that terrarium's hardscape into my domino roach enclosure. From there, some got into my peppered roach pen. They're all descended from something like 50 individuals, if not fewer. 

 
I've only had vulgare identified. I don't remember seeing any others in the area? We have what I think are powder blue isopods, also. They're called "sowbugs" locally, and are a lot less common. Flat, relatively soft-bodied, bluish-grey isopods that can't roll up and have a pair of antennae-like appendages on their hind end. They run a lot faster than the Armadillidium. I haven't seen any in awhile or I'd post some pictures.

I did look up isopod sightings in my area on an app called INaturalist, which I suggest checking out. All the sightings (and I looked at something like a hundred) were either A. vulgare or the sowbugs. 

 
Besides armadillidium vulgare, we do have porcellio laevis and I believe it's Porcellionides floria (very similar to powder blues but not the same). To be honest, I am not sure if they are floria or pruinosus.

I was mostly wondering if I could find armadillidium nasatum here in Austin.

Thanks for that website, I'll definitely check it out!

 
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