Dairy Cow Isopod

Porcellio laevis

OtherbeginnerHarmlessCommunal OK

No venom, no sting

This species is considered harmless to humans, with no medically significant venom or sting. Handle gently and wash your hands afterward.

About

Large, fast, prolific, and the usual recommendation for a first isopod colony you actually watch rather than just use as clean-up crew. Dairy Cow, Panda King and Milkback are colour morphs of this species, not separate species. Give a clear moisture gradient — one end damp, one end dry — with good cross-ventilation; laevis is more prone to crashing in stagnant, uniformly wet setups than Armadillidium. They are hungry for protein compared with most isopods, and an underfed colony will scavenge weak or moulting animals, so keep fish flake or a similar supplement available. DETRITIVORE. Harmless: no venom, no bite. They cannot roll into a ball and rely on speed instead.

Taxonomy

FamilyPorcellionidae

GenusPorcellio

Native regionEurope; introduced worldwide

TypeTerrestrial

Temperamentharmless, fast-moving

Size & growth

Adult size0.6-0.8 inches

Growth ratefast

Climate

Temperature68–80 °F

Humidity50–70%

Enclosure

Adult sizeshoebox tub or larger, cross-ventilated

Substratecoco fiber and topsoil with a damp end and a dry end; leaf litter

Substrate depth2-3 inches

Water dishOptional

Feeding

Feeding modeDetritivore (decaying matter)

Prey sizen/a (detritivore)

Adult cadenceleaf litter always available; protein 1-2x/week

Times kept: 0 · Unverified community entry