Panda King Isopod (Cubaris sp. "Panda King")
Size
1-2 cm
Moisture
80% humidity, allow a gradient of moisture from wet to dry soil
Temperature
22-26°C (72-78°F)
Sexing
Females will have a brood pouch and when pregnant, young can easily be seen from within.
Lifespan
It is estimated that the full life of an isopod can be between 2-3 years.
Instars
Isopods molt in two parts, and will keep growing and molting until death. Young isopods will molt quicker than older individuals. They will eat their molts after.
Feeding
I always provide my isopods with leaves and rotting wood as a staple, but often provide fruits and veggies, pet kibble, fish food, and sometimes dried fish or shrimp. I offer cuttlebone chunks or ground eggshells for calcium. Remove uneaten food before it molds. You don't need to feel isopods daily, but it's a good idea to add supplemental foods other than leaf litter at least once a week.
Enclosure
For all of my isopods, I generally use a mix of organic peat, decayed wood, flake soil, sphagnum moss, garden compost, chopped and whole leaves, as well as calcium carbohydrate or eggshells. Coco coir can be used as a filler for water retention, but is mostly inedible fiber. Ensure that your isopods have access to moist hides and substrate to provide the necessary moisture. For hides, I use chunks of cork or oak bark. Ventilation should be present but minimal to maintain proper moisture.
Breeding
If kept warm and wet enough, panda kings will produce steadily. They are a quicker breeding Cubaris and can quickly proliferate. In a year I went from 35 to 300 individuals.
Other Information
The best beginner cubaris, in my opinion. This is a popular species in the hobby due to its panda-like markings, cute face, and its ability to conglobate (roll into a ball!)
I keep these with my fulvous roaches. They share a bin, and both are very prolific.