Scientific name

Porcellio haasi

Porcellio haasi Arcangeli, 1925 is an Iberian woodlouse. A French natural history profile highlights its yellow markings and the particularly long rear appendages of males. [1][2]

Origin

Eastern Spain in Schmalfuss’s catalogue. More recent field observations also document shallow cavities in the Bardenas, Navarre. [1][3]

  • Iberian species
  • Surface shelters
  • Elongated uropods

Natural history identification and field observations from the Bardenas; husbandry attributed to two commercial suppliers. Commercial sizes and development times do not constitute universal biological norms.

At a glance

Porcellio haasi is an Iberian woodlouse with yellow markings and long rear appendages in males; these identifying characteristics require confirmation [1][2].

DOCUMENTED SIZEUp to 30 mm
Natural history profile; distinct commercial sizes in the text [2][4].
LIFESPANTo be documented
No supported individual lifespan in the selected sources.
LIFESTYLEShelters and cavities
Also present outside the cavities studied [3].

Adult size

Up to 30 mm in Jessica Joachim’s natural history profile. Insektenliebe states 25 mm for its ordinary form and 35 mm for a form called Giant; measurements are not standardised. [2][4]

Lifespan

Individual lifespan not retained owing to a lack of sufficiently documented species-specific follow-up.

Lifestyle

Observed in shelters and cavities, but also outside them; the species is not presented here as exclusively subterranean. [3]

Housing

SETUP AND SHELTERS

Ventilation and shelters — Insektenliebe maintains a single moistened area rich in leaves, with shelters and good ventilation [4].

Insektenliebe emphasises ventilation and maintains a single moistened area, rich in leaves, with shelters. [4]

Care parameters

BREEDER REFERENCE

22–27 °C — Insektenliebe reference point, not a need for routine heating [4].

Humidity

Localised moisture — A moist refuge and other less-moist areas in the practice described [4].

Temperature

22–27 °C at Insektenliebe [4] A keeper’s reference point, not an experimental safety range or a need for routine heating.

Humidity

A moist refuge and less-moist areas [4] No validated air-humidity percentage for this profile.

Feeding

DIET AND CALCIUM

Beech or oak leaves, decomposed wood, calcium and small supplements according to Swiss Reptile; commercial menu [5].

Scope of this profile

Natural history identification and field observations from the Bardenas; husbandry attributed to two commercial suppliers. Commercial sizes and development times do not constitute universal biological norms.

Recognising visible characteristics

Jessica Joachim describes two rows of yellow dorsal spots, very pale lateral expansions and long uropods in males. Her profile places the animal in the Porcellionidae. [2] A photograph from above can document these characteristics, but does not measure age or sexual maturity. The commercial names High Yellow, Dark and Giant must be retained as strain information, without turning them into taxa.

A natural habitat more nuanced than “dry”

The Aranzadi study reports P. haasi in small cavities and canyons in the Bardenas. The authors consider it capable of completing its life cycle there while also visiting the surface; locally, they note areas with more vegetation than those occupied by P. laevis. [3] This field observation is insufficient to establish a captive humidity level. It is a reminder that an arid landscape can offer shelters very different from the outside air.

Setting up without drying out all shelters

In its breeding setup, Insektenliebe describes retreat beneath dead wood or moss and rapid escape when exposed to light. Ventilation is central to its protocol. [4] For the enclosure proposed here, a secure ventilated lid preserves this principle without adopting the entirely open setup also mentioned by the author. That latter option is not retained as a recommendation for home keeping.

Food resources

Field observations associate P. haasi with fauna exploiting organic remains. [3] For captive animals, Swiss Reptile proposes beech or oak leaves, decomposed wood, a calcium source and various small supplements. [5] This menu is a commercial practice; neither protein quantity nor feeding frequency has a demonstrated experimental basis here.

Growth and breeding

Insektenliebe reports successful captive breeding and approximately nine months of development. [4] The final stage and detailed conditions are not explained sufficiently to make this a guaranteed age at first breeding. The existence of a strain marketed as larger also does not prove that it will live longer or produce more juveniles.

Choosing a strain with the relevant information

The published sizes do not follow a common convention, and the individuals examined are not equivalent. A measurement including the uropods cannot be compared directly with body length. Asking for a photograph with a scale and the group’s origin is therefore more useful than choosing solely an advert bearing the word Giant.

Checklist

  • Check the strain name and measurement method.
  • Prepare a ventilated lid and shelters.
  • Keep a reserve of leaves and decomposed wood.

Observations to record

  • Strain and origin
  • Observed development
  • Shelters used
  • Food provided

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Sources

Document-based overview; not a substitute for veterinary advice.

  1. Schmalfuss — World catalog of terrestrial isopods, entrée Porcellio haasi
    Source accessed
  2. Jessica Joachim — Porcellio haasi
    Source accessed
  3. Galán et al. — Cavidades de piping en arcillas miocenas… Bardenas, Navarra (2020)
    Source accessed
  4. Insektenliebe — Porcellio haasi, compte rendu d’élevage
    Source accessed
  5. Swiss Reptile — Porcellio haasi High Yellow
    Source accessed