Scientific name
Armadillidium nasatum
Other names: Armadillidium nasatum
The small projection on the head explains this woodlouse’s English name. The BMIG distinguishes it from A. vulgare in particular by this projecting scutellum. [1]
Origin
A species present in part of Europe; in Great Britain it occupies quarries, waste ground, railway lines and garden centres, with more northerly populations associated with greenhouses. These data describe a distribution, not a certificate of strain origin. [1]
- Projecting snout
- Incomplete conglobation
- Open habitats
BMIG morphology takes priority over a contradiction on the commercial page; no extrapolated lifespan or fecundity.
At a glance
The frontal projection helps recognise Armadillidium nasatum; colour alone is not enough to identify it [1].
| DOCUMENTED SIZE | Up to 12 mm BMIG; Insektenliebe states less than 14 mm [1][2]. |
|---|---|
| LIFESPAN | To be documented No supported individual lifespan in the selected sources. |
| LIFESTYLE | Under shelters Stones, pots and debris in the environments described [1]. |
Adult size
The BMIG states up to 12 mm; Insektenliebe states less than 14 mm. These separate descriptive references do not define a target size. [1][2]
Lifespan
Not quantified here: the selected sources do not provide usable individual follow-up.
Lifestyle
Uses shelters beneath stones, pots and debris in often sunny environments. When it rolls up, the antennae may remain protruding. [1]
Housing
SETUP AND SHELTERS
Covered ground — Humus, leaves and decaying hardwood, with moss and bark in Insektenliebe’s practice [2].
Insektenliebe describes ground containing humus, decaying hardwood and leaves, supplemented with moss and bark; retain a less humid area. [2]
Care parameters
BREEDER REFERENCE
18–23 °C — Insektenliebe commercial reference, not a demonstrated optimum [2].
Humidity
Localised moisture — A humid shelter and a less humid part, in the commercial practice cited [2].
Temperature
18–23 °C in the Insektenliebe profile [2] Commercial practice range; check the strain’s actual conditions.
Substrate water
Localised moisture and the choice of a drier zone [2] Natural occurrence in a dry environment does not mean the whole substrate can dry out.
Feeding
DIET AND CALCIUM
Leaves, vegetables and woodlouse food according to Insektenliebe; a calcium source mentioned by Mad Walshs’ guide [2][3].
Scope of this profile
BMIG morphology takes priority over a contradiction on the commercial page; no extrapolated lifespan or fecundity.
The snout matters more than colour
The body often has pale longitudinal bands, but dark or coloured forms exist. The frontal feature and imperfect closure are more informative. [1] The commercial page claims complete closure: on this point, this profile explicitly adopts the BMIG specialist description. [1][2] A clear head photo should accompany an uncertain identification.
Building an observable habitat
Install several hides accessible without moving all the litter. The soil, leaf and wood mixture described in the breeding source provides structure and a background food supply. [2] To make maintenance repeatable, record the starting material, substrate depth and vent positions. It will then be possible to link a change in drying to a precise modification of the enclosure.
Leaves, supplements and calcium
The breeder suggests leaves, vegetables and woodlouse food. [2] Mad Walshs’ general guide, which expressly includes A. nasatum, also combines decaying plant matter and a calcium source. [3] Supplements can be monitored at a dedicated spot: recording date, approximate quantity and leftovers helps adjust additions without making multiple simultaneous changes.
Interpreting the climate
The BMIG describes open, brightly lit habitats, but animals are sought beneath the objects that shelter them. [1] Turning this observation into an instruction to place an enclosure in the sun would be misleading. Checking enclosure temperature and shelter moisture separately gives two different pieces of information; no universal air-humidity value is adopted.
Observing reproduction
The research used justifies neither a fixed maturation period nor a guaranteed number of young. Regularly photographing the same area with an external scale reference can document the appearance of small size classes. Do not assign an exact age from length alone; the goal is to track a trend without inducing reproduction through an improvised heating increase.
Risks and daily checks
Inspect food leftovers and note whether animals are visible under the same shelters. Reduced surface presence does not prove mortality. During a transfer, keep provenance, observed morphology and any morph name separate. Horticultural spread documented by the BMIG also recalls why a colony must not be dispersed with soil or plants. [1]
French references: Armadillidium nasatum
Reference found in the following French catalogues: Isopodshop [4]; Insectorus [6]. Catalogue presence, including out-of-stock listings, does not measure sales.
Isopodshop suggests 18-25 °C for husbandry. This is a commercial reference, not a demonstrated safe range. [4]
Insectorus states 18-26°C. This commercial range does not demonstrate safety thresholds. [6]
Insectorus states 1.5-2cm in adulthood, without explaining the measurement method. [6]
These sellers’ figures remain separately attributed: combining them does not create a newly validated husbandry range.
Checklist
- Document the frontal snout.
- Prepare shelters across both zones.
- Keep provenance and selected-strain name separately.
Observations to record
- Manual temperature readings
- Humid shelter condition
- Photos with a scale
- Observation of young
The app provides individual animal records. Check which features are available for your animal in the released version.
Sources
Document-based overview; not a substitute for veterinary advice.
- British Myriapod and Isopod Group — armadillidium nasatum
Source accessed - Insektenliebe — Armadillidium nasatum
Source accessed - Mad Walshs — General Isopod Care Sheet, espèces expressément couvertes
Source accessed - Armadillidium nasatum — Isopodshop
Source accessed - World Marine, Freshwater and Terrestrial Isopod Crustaceans database — Armadillidium nasatum
Source accessed - Armadillidium nasatum — Insectorus
Source accessed