Corfu Pill Woodlouse

🔤 Taxonomy

Armadillidium corcyraeum Verhoeff, 1901 is the accepted name. Older literature may use Armadillidium odysseum or A. graecorum; both are catalogued as synonyms.

“Silver” is a captive colour-line label, not a subspecies. Keep the breeder’s label for provenance, but do not use it to infer a wild locality.

📌 Description

Adults generally reach about 1.4-1.8 cm. They are rounded, able to conglobate, and commonly dark grey to nearly black with pale markings; captive Silver lines emphasize the lighter pattern. Colour varies with age and line and is not sufficient for identification.

This species is manageable at moderate room temperatures. The core setup is a leaf-rich substrate with a connected damp refuge and vigorous airflow above a less-wet end.

Care point	Practical target
Adult size	1.4-1.8 cm
Starter colony	25 x 18 x 15 cm or larger
Temperature	18-24°C
Substrate	6-8 cm with leaves and rotten hardwood
Moisture	damp refuge and ventilated drier side
Main failure	a saturated, poorly ventilated culture

🌍 Distribution

Verified records cover the Greek Ionian islands of Corfu, Paxos and Lefkada and the adjacent western Epirus mainland. A 2011 revision considered southern Albania possible but did not verify it; the conservative map therefore highlights Greece only.

Native-range map

⚖️ Legal status

Checked on 2026-08-29: A. corcyraeum is not listed in the CITES Appendices, EU wildlife-trade Annexes A-D under Regulation (EU) 2026/1383, or Bern Convention Appendices II-III. National law and protected-site rules may still control collection and movement.

Prefer captive-established animals, retain invoices and culture-line details, and verify current Greek, transit and destination rules before trade. Never release animals or viable substrate outdoors.

🤌 Husbandry

House a 10-20-animal starter group in a secure 25 x 18 x 15 cm container. Put fine vents on two sides and concentrate more airflow over the drier half. Multiple cork flats and a thick leaf layer reduce competition for the useful boundary between damp and dry substrate.

Quarantine for 45-60 days with separate tools. Observe mortality, mancae and unwanted organisms, and keep Silver or locality-labelled cultures separate when preservation of the line matters.

💡 Lighting

UVB is not required. Provide a 10-14-hour diffuse light cycle, deep shade under leaves and no direct sun. Bright display lighting is safe only if it adds no measurable heat.

🌡 Heating and temperature

Maintain 18-24°C, with a 16-20°C retreat and nights around 15-20°C. Cool seasonal room temperatures can slow reproduction; a forced dormancy is neither required nor appropriate for weak or newly acquired colonies.

Avoid prolonged temperatures above 26°C. If heating is necessary, apply it to one external wall with a thermostat and preserve a cool, damp base.

💧 Humidity and water

Keep roughly one-third of the substrate damp through its full depth, with a transitional middle and a less-wet ventilated end. A working range of 50-70% RH is reasonable, but inspect the soil under hides instead of chasing a constant air number.

Pour water into the damp corner as needed. Do not add an open water dish; widespread condensation, wall climbing and sour substrate indicate excessive moisture or stale air.

🌿 Enclosure and decoration

Use 6-8 cm of pesticide-free topsoil, leaf mould and decomposed deciduous wood. Add a thick layer of safe hardwood leaves, overlapping cork, moss only at the damp end, and a continuous calcium source such as cuttlebone or limestone.

Avoid fertilized potting compost, pesticide-exposed litter, aromatic conifer wood and coir as the sole substrate. Replace leaves and rotten wood gradually so the colony retains mature microbial habitat.

🪳 Feeding

Decayed leaves and white-rotted wood are the staple. Two or three times weekly, add a little carrot, squash, courgette, mushroom or dried nettle. Supply a small protein portion, such as gammarus or fish food, about weekly.

Feed at more than one point in a large colony and remove wet leftovers within 24-48 hours. Too much protein encourages mites and localized fouling.

🥚 Breeding

The repository records marsupial brooding as “viviparous.” Females retain eggs and embryos in a ventral pouch and release mancae; there are no exposed eggs to incubate.

Reproduction is usually moderate once stock is settled. Maintain fine leaf fragments, calcium and stable moisture around the brood refuge. Do not isolate gravid females, and divide only colonies with multiple age classes.

🩺 Common problems

Failed moults: verify deep moisture, calcium and a cooler retreat.
Mancae disappear: cover coarse vent holes and keep fine food near the damp refuge.
Mites or sour substrate: reduce fresh food and protein, then improve cross-flow.
Colour disappointment: Silver is a line label; expression varies and does not prove taxonomic identity.
Mixed cultures: isolate unexpected body forms and preserve supplier records.

📌 Conclusion

The Corfu pill woodlouse is approachable when ventilation and a permanent damp refuge are established before purchase. Uniform wetness is the common shortcut that turns a stable Mediterranean colony into a failing one.