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Clown Isopod (Armadillidium klugii) (Dubrovnik)
Armadillidium klugii "Dubrovnik"
The 'Dubrovnik' Clown Isopod (Armadillidium klugii) is a highly ornamental European isopod. It features a bright aposematic color pattern with rows of white and yellow spots bordered with red, mimicking the Mediterranean black widow.
Class:Malacostraca
Order:Isopoda
Family:Armadillidiidae
Genus:Armadillidium
Species:Armadillidium klugii "Dubrovnik"
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
45 - 70 %
Ambient temperature
23 - 26 °C
Day temperature
22 - 26 °C
Night temperature
15 °C
Substrate depth
>= 5 cm
UVB
None
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Native to the dry, rocky, and sun-exposed coastal areas of Dalmatia and the southern Balkan Peninsula (Croatia and Montenegro). They inhabit typical Mediterranean scrublands, old limestone dry-stone walls, and coastal forest margins, taking refuge in deep rock crevices to seek shelter and ventilation.
Taxonomy and Genetics: A popular isopod species known for its defensive behavior of rolling into a perfect sphere (conglobation). The 'Dubrovnik' morph features a slate-gray or lead-black body (up to 18 mm) with a distinctive bright red or orange skirt (pleurites) on the edges. The back is decorated with neat, geometric rows of canary-yellow and white spots, which resemble a clown pattern.
Behavior and Habits: Active and relatively bold compared to other isopod species. They frequently explore their enclosure in the open. Their striking pattern is a form of Batesian mimicry, evolving to resemble the venomous Mediterranean Black Widow spider (Latrodectus tredecimguttatus) to deter predators like birds and lizards.
Morphology: Males and females are visually similar, though females are often slightly larger, wider, and carry eggs or young in a specialized pouch (marsupium) on their underside during reproduction.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Requires a well-ventilated enclosure (minimum 10 liters). Substrate should consist of a 5 cm deep organic soil mix enriched with decaying hardwood, oak leaf litter, and a calcium source like cuttlebone or limestone. Provide plenty of flat cork bark pieces and dry wood for shelter.
Lighting and Heating: Prefers a warm Mediterranean climate. Maintain temperatures between 23 and 26°C. They can tolerate minor nighttime temperature drops, but prolonged cold below 15°C will slow down their metabolism and reproductive cycle.
Humidity and Hydration: they are highly sensitive to high humidity and stagnant air. Maintain a strict moisture gradient: keep 2/3 of the enclosure completely dry and dusty, and only 1/3 damp by moistening a corner with sphagnum moss. Ensure excellent ventilation.
Feeding and Supplementation: Their main diet consists of their organic substrate (decaying leaves and wood). Supplement their diet with carrots, sweet potato, spirulina flakes, and dried gammarus shrimp to support coloration and shell health. Remove uneaten fresh food within 24 hours to prevent mold and pests.
Compatibility: Peaceful, gregarious detritivores. They can be housed in large colonies of their own species or with other peaceful isopods. Avoid housing them with aggressive predators or keeping them in overly humid setups with tropical species.
Health and Common Diseases: The primary cause of death in captivity is excessive humidity, leading to fatal mold infections or suffocation. Always maintain the dry-zone gradient and avoid over-misting. Structural deformities or failed molts occur if there is a lack of calcium in the substrate.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Native to the dry, rocky, and sun-exposed coastal areas of Dalmatia and the southern Balkan Peninsula (Croatia and Montenegro). They inhabit typical Mediterranean scrublands, old limestone dry-stone walls, and coastal forest margins, taking refuge in deep rock crevices to seek shelter and ventilation.
Origin
Selective breeding and cultivarsEurope, Mediterranean, and West Asia
Terrestrial invertebrate profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 2.1 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Venom level
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 2.1 cm. The Schmalfuss (2013) — revision of the Armadillidium klugii group source reports a maximum adult measurement of 2.1 cm for this species, recorded as the dataset's reported length dimension. The biological datum refers to the base species Armadillidium klugii, not exclusively to the commercial variety. These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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