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Nosy Pillbug (A. nasatum)
Armadillidium nasatum
The Nosy Pillbug Isopod (Armadillidium nasatum). A particular Armadillidium (0.6 inches) widespread throughout the northern world. Its unmistakable trait is the pronounced 'Nose': a frontal lobe of the shell highly protruding above the head. Unlike its cousin 'vulgare', it cannot close into a perfectly hermetic ball (leaves a gap). Very prolific, famous for the very well known 'Peach' morph (totally pastel orange/peach), excellent for cool terrariums.
Class:Malacostraca
Order:Isopoda
Family:Armadillidiidae
Genus:Armadillidium
Species:Armadillidium nasatum
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
50 - 70 %
Day temperature
20 - 26 °C
Night temperature
18 - 22 °C
UVB
None
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Widespread in Northern Europe, British Isles and introduced in North America. Inhabits lowland forests, damp gardens, greenhouses (famous scourge of Victorian English greenhouses) and woodpiles.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Family Armadillidiidae. (The Imperfect Conglobator). Although belonging to the family of pillbugs, its defensive closure is 'dirty': the presence of the frontal rostrum (the 'nose') prevents the head from fitting perfectly with the rear, leaving a visible slit if rolled up.
Behavior and Habits: Imperfect sprinters. The nasatum is slightly more slender, fast and bold than the vulgare, preferring to climb on barks and stems rather than spending life buried 4 inches in the dark. Very prolific: in a stable environment without sudden changes (they are damp greenhouse beasts) they explode demographically devouring moss and shoots.
Morphology: Total dome but elongated (0.6 inches / 1.5 cm). The head bears a pointed and upward turned 'nose' (scutellum), highly visible to the naked eye looking them in the face. The wild color is a pale gray/brown with spotted longitudinal bands. The 'Peach' morph transforms them into wonderful smooth bright tangerine orange candies without any dark spots.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: In Ganter's caged-population experiment, increased density reduced growth rate, survivorship, and size at first reproduction in the tested isopods, including Armadillidium nasatum. This is an experimental population result, not a prescriptive enclosure protocol; the source provides no enclosure-design, substrate, or space-allocation parameters.
Lighting and Heating: This source provides no lighting or heating guidance for Armadillidium nasatum.
Humidity and Hydration: This source provides no humidity or hydration guidance for Armadillidium nasatum.
Feeding and Supplementation: This source provides no feeding or supplementation protocol for Armadillidium nasatum.
Compatibility and Coexistence: This source provides no compatibility or cohabitation guidance for Armadillidium nasatum.
Health and Common Diseases: This source provides no health or disease guidance for Armadillidium nasatum.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Widespread in Northern Europe, British Isles and introduced in North America. Inhabits lowland forests, damp gardens, greenhouses (famous scourge of Victorian English greenhouses) and woodpiles.
Origin
Selective breeding and cultivarsNorth AmericaEurope, Mediterranean, and West AsiaCosmopolitan or introduced
Terrestrial invertebrate profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 1.2 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 1.2 cm. The British Myriapod and Isopod Group — Armadillidium nasatum source reports a maximum adult measurement of 1.2 cm for this species, recorded as body length. The taxonomic record consulted is Armadillidium nasatum. 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.
Related species
Recommendations grouped by close relatives, companion choices, and similar care.
