Ember Bee Isopod
Merulanella sp.
Wholesale
Category
Isopods
Minimum order
MOQ 50 head
Per-head price
Partners Only
Overview
Adult Length
12 – 15 mm
Venom
Non-venomous detritivore. Harmless — no bite, sting or defensive chemistry.
In the Wild
Habitat
Humid Vietnamese forest floor. A Merulanella (now Ardentiella) morph — jet-black legs and underside with yellow/red banding — found in leaf litter and under bark; does not burrow. Captive-bred stock.
Wild Diet
Detritivore — decaying leaves, rotting wood, fungi, lichen and carrion.
Captive Care
Temperature
19 – 26 °C ambient — 18 °C cool end (heat-sensitive)
Humidity
60 – 75 %. Moist but well-ventilated; mist periodically and keep the substrate from saturating.
UV Requirements
None required (nocturnal).
Feeding
Leaf litter and white-rot wood plus mango, carrot and a calcium/protein dry mix; lichen-covered bark recommended. Every 4 – 7 days.
Enclosure
Terrestrial bioactive set-up: deep leaf litter, cork-bark flats, rotting wood, moist substrate. Escape-proof lid (vertical climber). 20 × 20 cm.
Temperament
Calm, gregarious detritivore; clusters under litter. Display/colony species, not for handling.
Origin
Not found in the wild in Thailand. Native range: Vietnam.