Fingerlakefeeders

Got to get some of these...

A pic from tonight.

Three orange pieds have made an appearance. Unsure if that can be fixed, the melanin reduction seems to be very ever changing.

I would consider it.

One of my four lines of Heterometrus silenus produce red brown females. What the heck?

Thank you, Sir! I appreciate the feedback. As evidenced by the pic, some of the original stock isolated became very ordinary looking. Not all, though. I took another look last night and the F2s are quite variable. There are regular milkbacks, pale yellow milkbacks, whites, yellows, oranges, and pieds. Like I stated earlier, I have no idea what is going on. Fingers crossed.

Update - there are some orange F2s. Evidence suggests either there was a cross, however unlikely, or it is a spontaneous mutation. Once again, I am flummoxed by the genetics.

Update - a few whites and pieds are showing up. Still not sure what is going on genetically.

I completely understand your point and know many folks have had success using coir. Based on my experience and research, although most isopods do not "need", many benefit from substrates that support a healthy biofilm. I am not talking about cellulose, I am talking about the bacteria and fungus that grow on such substrates. Of the species I keep, the Cubaris/Nesodillo benefit the most. The Armadillidiums benefit, but probably to a lesser extent. For many of the others, it is certainly doing no harm. Perhaps the ultimate benefit is what the spent substrate does for my garden plants. All of the Mediterranean Porcellios I keep have a far different substrate. Hakuna matata.

I would say a nutritive substrate is very important. However, HD says coir works just as well. Based on my respect for HD, I would say that varied approaches work.

I keep the Baltic Armadillidiums about half way between the Western European Armadillidiums and Mediterranean Porcellios. Moderately high ventilation and a more alkaline clay infused substrate. An addition of 10% Sodium Bentonite and 1 % Pulverized Dolomitic Limestone to the substrate more closely imitates their natural soil type. It has worked very well for me.

Working on fixing this pearlescent morph. Pictures, especially low res, do not come close to capturing the pearlescense.

North Carolina State Agricultural & Life Sciences Department determined of the twenty naturally occurring amino acids, at least ten must be present in an insect’s diet. These ten, called essential amino acids, include lysine, tryptophan, histidine, phenylalanine, leucine, isoleucine, threonine, methionine, valine, and arginine. The other ten amino acids are considered “non-essential” because they can be synthesized from other amino acids or similar chemical building blocks. Insect diets and human diets require the same ten essential amino acids! Certain roach species still need all ten amino acids, but can subsist on a poor protein diet due to bacterial symbionts that synthesize certain essential amino acids to the benefit of the host roach. Let's examine the facts: Roaches need methionine. DL-methionine is a 50/50 mix of the D and L isomers of methionine. And although only the L isomer is used by the roach, there is no indication that the D isomer is inherently toxic or otherwise harmful to the roach. Why then is methionine, or the chemically synthesized version DL-methionine, vilified? Bruce Stevens, professor of physiology and functional genomics in the University of Florida college of medicine, first discovered the pesticide properties of methionine while cloning genes that regulate amino acid metabolism in 1998. Working with co-author James Cuda of UF's department of entomology and nematology, Stevens later found this amino acid to be effective against many insects, including yellow fever mosquito larvae, tomato hornworm, and Colorado potato beetle. Noting the very curious phenomenon to have this nutrient amino acid that humans can't live without, yet at the concentrations they put on the leaves, was toxic to the crop-destructive caterpillars of certain butterflies. It was determined that mega doses of methionine disrupt an ion channel that controls nutrient absorption in larvae with an alkaline intestine. That does NOT mean that any feed or feed ingredient that contains DL-methionine is toxic to roaches! There are many feed ingredients in normal amounts are needed and beneficial. In larger doses, those same ingredients can be toxic and some are used as ingredients in insecticides. Two notable such ingredients, sodium chloride and copper sulfate. Let's not forget without those two substances, most organic life forms on the planet would cease to exist. Proper context is important to understanding. Are you using feeds with DL-methionine and getting good results? If yes, continue to do so. When veterans of the hobby have done so for decades, it is a safe bet that it is ok. Disclaimer: This phrase is trademarked and not to be used without the permission of Ricky Bobby Inc.

It is always good to have a helper. We collect around 20 large contractor bags each fall.

It's a little late, but Soren Kierkegaard once said that productivity is the fruit of insomnia. So...thus far I have used several Cubaris in roach centric bioactive enclosures. Their productivity is excellent and other than the snafu with the Psycho Killer Pak Chong, it has worked beautifully. This time I used Cubaris sp Champagne. I refuse to call them Soil...worst name ever. Besides they look a little bit like a champagne colored 87 Buick Regal. Anxious to see if they do as well as the Ducks and Pandas.

Here is the stock selected in 2020. The 2021 stock regressed slightly, which is why the 2022 was so surprising.

They have always been on a dark substrate, so I can't speak to that in culture. However, on the back side of my property is a butternut snag with loose bark. The spinicornis under the loose bark are very washed out in appearance, but ones on the ground a few feet away are very dark. I have often wondered about that. It has been a challenge. Two steps forward and one step back. The two previous years stock chosen for breeding have shown considerably more bright yellow, but still had considerable melanin expression. This year was the breakthrough. Fingers crossed.

Been working on this project for 6 years. Very slow, incremental progress until this year. Finally looking how I imagined. A pied was included for good measure.

Ditto. To really thrive, they need mid to lower 60s and prefer an acidic substrate. They are often found in the vicinity of conifers.

A few questions first. What specie(s) of isopods are you utilizing in the experiment? That will impact food preferences significantly. By fungus, do you mean the fruiting body? Isopods eat primarily mycelium, not the fruiting bodies of fungus. Though, I have seen strong feeding responses across many species when feeding powdered Cloud Ear Fungus (Auricularia) fruiting bodies. What specie of decaying wood and what type of rot? The preferred type would be hardwood species with advanced white rot. As far as potatoes, the skin contains solanine which may deter isopods from eating it versus the starchy interior. Are the leaves fresh, fallen and/or partially decayed? Fresh leaves contain various phytochemicals - alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, resins, tannins, etc. that deter isopods from eating them. Fallen, decayed hardwood leaves although less nutritious are far more palatable. As far as fresh leaves, wild grape (Vitis), linden/basswood (Tilia), and mulberry (Morus) are eaten on occasion in my experience. The strongest feeding response I have seen for fresh leaves has been for Creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea) by many Armadillidium species. A bit counterintuitive since Glechoma species are in the mint family and contain both aromatic and volatile oils. As far as other foods, granivory is well documented in isopods. You may want to include various grains, pseudograins, and/or seeds. Algae are another possible food. You could include some type of seaweed such as kelp or laver. You may also want to include some type of lichen, as many isopods are known to eat them as well. Obviously, an experiment of this type is subject to countless variables, which makes it even more interesting. Even more focused experiments comparing different types of a certain food item would be useful. Have fun with it and please detail your findings.

Noticed a few of these in a mixed culture of Porcellio laevis Milkback x Orange. Other than the fact nobody else has been able to do the cross, I do not believe these are a cross due to the expression of melanin in the cuticle. I found 11 individuals in a culture of several hundred. Most of the others were normal Milkbacks. I purposefully did not feed any food with significant carotenoids to avoid any false positives. Not sure if it will take, but I have isolated them.