Merulanella spec. “China”

Merulanella spec. “China” was our first Isopod species from China. It’s always interesting to get a species from a new country for a variety of reasons. For example, how does the species behave with the food on offer and what climatic conditions must be met. We always pay attention to the subsequent generations and start a long-term project to see whether this species can establish itself in the hobby in the long term.

This relatively small species is almost always found near the ground and rarely under bark or stones, but rather in the foliage. The behavior is typical for many Merulanella species. The nimble attempts to escape when disturbed can also be observed in other subspecies of the genus. The difference lies in reproduction and also in the husbandry requirements. Merulanella spec. “China” is a wonderful introduction to this genus. They make no demands on food and readily eat everything. The substrate should always be kept moist and they thrive magnificently at a humidity of 75%. However, this species can also survive a short dry period, which leads us to believe that Merulanella spec. “China” could have a large catchment area in China. Unfortunately, however, we do not know exactly which region they originally come from.

If you want to create a terrarium that is close to nature, choose a 10 cm high layer of deciduous forest humus, leaves and white rotten wood as the substrate. Moss and leaves should be spread over this layer of substrate. On the one hand, these things serve as shelter, on the other hand as food and to keep the humidity in the tank. As already mentioned, the tank should always be kept moist. However, waterlogging should be avoided at all costs.

A humidity of 75-85% will normally settle quickly by itself with regular spraying. The temperature in the tank should be between 23 and 28°C. The animals need lime to build up their shell, which can be given in the form of cuttlefish, crushed eggshells or similar. White rotten wood and leaves in the substrate serve as food. Vegetables, fruit, flowers and isopod food are also readily accepted.