Scientific name
Porcellio werneri
Porcellio werneri has a particularly broad, flattened body, dark grey with a pale border in the lineages described by breeders. [2][3] It must not be confused with Armadillidium werneri.
Origin
A species of the Greek Aegean islands, documented particularly on Naxos, Paros and Amorgos in Schmalfuss’s catalogue. [1]
- Flattened body
- Low shelters
- Substrate gradient
Species retained as distinct from P. flavomarginatus; indexed GBIF lists it as accepted. Breeders’ thermal differences shown without recombination.
At a glance
A broad, flattened Greek woodlouse, to be distinguished from Armadillidium werneri. Silverback lineages remain commercial names [1][2][3].
| DOCUMENTED SIZE | Less than 20 mm Insektenliebe; up to 20 mm at Exuvium [2][3]. |
|---|---|
| LIFESPAN | To be documented No supported individual lifespan in the selected sources. |
| LIFESTYLE | Pressed against the support Behaviour observed in Insektenliebe’s colonies [2]. |
Adult size
Less than 20 mm in the Insektenliebe profile; up to 20 mm at Exuvium. [2][3]
Lifespan
Individual lifespan is not established by the selected documents; no numerical value is extrapolated.
Lifestyle
Insektenliebe observes that the animal presses against surfaces and may remain motionless after disturbance. [2] Do not immediately interpret this immobility as death, or provoke it to observe it.
Housing
SETUP AND SHELTERS
Shelters and ventilation — Humus, decaying wood, litter and shelters; Exuvium stresses ventilation [2][3].
Insektenliebe’s proposed mixture includes leaf humus, decaying wood and thick litter, with bark and shelters. Exuvium stresses ventilation. [2][3]
Care parameters
BREEDER REFERENCE
23–26 °C — Insektenliebe reference; the two commercial ranges do not define an optimum [2][3].
ANOTHER PRACTICE
17–26 °C — Range reported by Exuvium, distinct from Insektenliebe’s [3].
Humidity
Humid shelter — Both breeders keep a humid area; no universal air percentage adopted [2][3].
Temperature
23–26 °C at Insektenliebe; 17–26 °C at Exuvium. These divergent references do not define a shared optimum. [2][3] A practice value when attributed to a breeder; no universal safety threshold is inferred.
Humidity and ventilation
Both breeders retain a humid area; no universal air-humidity target adopted. [2][3] Examine substrate beneath shelters and record the enclosure’s actual conditions.
Feeding
DIET AND CALCIUM
Leaves and decaying wood, plant and protein supplements, with calcium according to Exuvium [3].
Scope of this profile
Species retained as distinct from P. flavomarginatus; indexed GBIF lists it as accepted. Breeders’ thermal differences shown without recombination.
A silhouette to keep in photos
The very flattened form deserves dorsal and lateral views in the provenance file. [2] Selection names, such as Silverback at Exuvium, remain commercial lineage names. [3] Keeping species, supplier and selection name separately allows a group’s history to be found without artificially adding a new species to the collection.
Shelters and space
Exuvium notes possible territorial behaviour between males and recommends space. [3] This profile does not turn that observation into a numerical maximum density. Distributing shelters and recording gathering zones provides more useful monitoring than an isolated volume. During an intervention, locate animals pressed beneath an element before moving it to avoid losing or trapping them.
Diet and calcium
Exuvium suggests decaying leaves, soft wood, plant and protein supplements, and a calcium source. [3] Keeping a check location makes leftovers easier to observe without dismantling flat shelters. A log can distinguish what was offered, what appears eaten and what was removed; these three pieces of information are not equivalent.
Comparing climatic practices
The difference between the two commercial ranges shows why the received strain’s precise conditions must be requested. [2][3] This profile does not choose an arithmetic average between their limits. Recording enclosure temperature and shelter moisture by a consistent method helps interpret a change. Altering heating, watering and ventilation together would prevent knowing which factor actually changed.
Reproduction and juvenile records
Exuvium describes seasonal reproduction in its practice. [3] This observation sets no breeding month for another room or strain. Record the first appearance of small sizes, their later presence and the setup’s actual seasonal variations. An isolated result is not enough to infer an annual rate or infer absent reproduction from a quiet period.
Limits and risks
The cited instructions remain commercial experiences, without experimental validation of a single protocol. An appearance suited to dry shelters does not justify removing every moisture resource. [2][3] A brief daily check can verify closure, resources and occupied areas without grasping animals. If an unusual change occurs, preserve the history before multiplying interventions; no isolated observation provides a diagnosis here.
Checklist
- Keep the group’s provenance and identification.
- Prepare resources and shelters before arrival.
- Define a simple check without regularly dismantling the environment.
Observations to record
- Manual intervention log
- Substrate and food condition
- Young, moults and deaths observed
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.
- Schmalfuss, 2003, mise à jour 2004 — World catalog of terrestrial isopods
Source accessed - Insektenliebe — Porcellio werneri
Source accessed - Exuvium Isopods — Porcellio werneri, observations de la colonie
Source accessed