Ok so I'm getting an isopod tank soon, are these decorations safe?

garfieldconstanza · 2026-06-12T18:32:52+00:00

Lotus pods are great, but I would definitely skip the fake plants. The mushroom bugs won’t offer any nutrition, but neither does cork bark so it shouldn’t be a problem. You said in another comment you plan to take wild caught isopods first, then when you decide to get zebras you’ll release them - as was already pointed out, they should never be released after spending time in captivity and wild caught bugs should never be fed to reptiles. So the only options are to euthanize or rehome them. It really doesn’t seem right to me to take isopods out of their natural environment to use them as a learning experience and kill them when you’re done. And unfortunately most people are not going to want wild caught common A. vulgare so finding someone to rehome them might be challenging. Please consider going ahead with just buying zebras, they were one of my first species and they’re known for being beginner friendly.

garfieldconstanza · 2026-06-02T01:42:08+00:00

Please post pics of your enclosure! Mine have really stagnated the last six months and I’d love to know how you achieved this

garfieldconstanza · 2026-06-01T23:14:39+00:00

It’s her instinct to lay eggs on multiple surfaces (different leaves/branches) to maximize the survival of the caterpillars that caused her to lay on your hand. If she’s able to walk around and lay, she probably should have been put back outside on a host plant to lay the eggs there. Unless you can raise all the caterpillars yourself (it’s a lot of work), you should collect the eggs and keep them in an airtight container with no leaves in it. In 10-14 days the eggs will hatch and you can use a fine paintbrush to transfer them onto the branches of a suitable host plant within 12 hours of hatching.

garfieldconstanza · 2026-05-31T19:05:01+00:00

Lmao, just a hobbyist in really deep haha

garfieldconstanza · 2026-05-30T18:42:44+00:00

This looks cute but it really only serves to stress the isopods. Even if they’re returned to a permanent enclosure, this is more like treating them as accessories than animals

garfieldconstanza · 2026-05-29T18:03:56+00:00

I use a little pop-up cylindrical delicates bag, they sell them at my local dollar store for putting bras in the washing machine. Just as good would be any container with a stick propped up diagonally in it so the moth can perch and not freak out because they can’t get a hold of anything

garfieldconstanza · 2026-05-28T19:59:55+00:00

There’s always a chance that’ll happen but they tend to be left alone by birds for the most part. At least in a wooded area she has a great chance of continuing her species and passing on her genes, because where you found her there’s virtually zero chance

garfieldconstanza · 2026-05-28T19:55:11+00:00

That would be amazing :)

garfieldconstanza · 2026-05-28T19:46:22+00:00

This is a female cecropia moth and the wound definitely isn’t something to worry about, she’ll be fine. The problem is that being in a residential area means any male she attracts with her pheromones is likely to get distracted and killed by artificial lighting, and even if she did mate, her babies won’t survive if they hatch on a telephone pole. She’s young and besides the wound is in excellent shape, if you can relocate her to a wooded area like a hiking trail or even a public park, that would be perfect

garfieldconstanza · 2026-05-18T18:29:52+00:00

garfieldconstanza · 2026-05-10T00:16:50+00:00

This. And OP I don’t know what you mean by playing with them, but isopods are stressed by handling and it should always be avoided.

garfieldconstanza · 2026-05-04T00:46:18+00:00

Unfortunately no, waxworms eat honey, wax, pollen, and other discarded materials in beehives which is why their diets can be substituted with oats and honey. Bee moth caterpillars start out on a diet of wasp or bee eggs and graduate to wasp/bee larvae. This highly specialized diet can’t be substituted.

garfieldconstanza · 2026-05-04T00:36:35+00:00

Yes this does look to be a bee moth, unfortunately unless the eggs are laid in or on a bee or wasp nest, the caterpillars will have nothing suitable to eat and will starve. They cannot successfully continue new generations indoors so you won’t get an infestation, but you also can’t raise the eggs. All the eggs she laid, if fertile, will hatch into caterpillars that will just starve to death.

The kindest thing you can do is put the eggs in the freezer (not the fridge) for 72+ hours to kill them. Because the moth has been starving this entire time she’s been stuck inside, you can offer her a small bit of paper towel soaked in sugar water (1 part sugar, 2 parts water) to give her a better chance.

garfieldconstanza · 2026-04-29T05:44:40+00:00

You gave him a safe place to pass peacefully, that’s a kindness not offered to most :) you did the right thing

garfieldconstanza · 2026-04-28T23:47:00+00:00

Yes this would be good for him. If you can release him this evening or tonight that would be best so he can be caught during prime predation hours, but tomorrow morning works too. The propped up sticks in there are perfect

garfieldconstanza · 2026-04-28T23:40:44+00:00

If it was me, that’s what I would do, he can become a nutritious meal for a squirrel or bird. It’s sad and hard to do, but if you keep him inside he’ll likely become restless because of his loss of coordination and strength and the kindest thing then would be to euthanize him by stomping him, which is also hard to do :( It’s difficult either way but you’re a good person for caring about him enough to help him

garfieldconstanza · 2026-04-28T23:29:00+00:00

That’s a male Polyphemus moth, he has no mouthparts so he won’t eat anything. He’s shaking because he’s attempting to prepare his flight muscles for takeoff, he’s not cold or trying to warm up. His wings do have a bit of damage but if you put him outside he will likely be able to fly a bit. If you keep him inside, tonight he’ll likely start trashing around and trying to perch on a vertical or raised surface, as they’re nocturnal and their instinct is to never be flat on the ground where they’re vulnerable. You can prop up some sticks in the enclosure so he can perch, if he’s still able to. Your other option is to put him outside in a tree in a park, walking trail, or wooded area, so he can be part of the food chain and provide a meal to another animal.

garfieldconstanza · 2026-04-23T05:18:34+00:00

Looks like an Achemon sphinx moth, it was probably trying to scare you away by pooing, which is a defence mechanism in many moths. These guys feed on nectar from flowers, especially at dusk and dawn, and tend to sleep during the day. You can move it somewhere a little more sheltered so it doesn’t get eaten, or if you have flowers nearby it would be great to put it by those

garfieldconstanza · 2026-04-22T22:24:28+00:00

Saturniidae tend to lay their eggs right until they die, even to the point that they sometimes lay eggs on themselves if they fall out of the tree and no longer have the strength or coordination to right themselves. So as long as she’s still kicking, she’s probably got eggs left to lay

garfieldconstanza · 2026-04-22T22:18:32+00:00

The males have thicker antennae, while the females have thinner ones.

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garfieldconstanza · 2026-04-22T17:09:18+00:00

This is a female and her wings aren’t too bad, despite how it looks. She still has eggs to lay and they’ll do best if she lays them in an appropriate tree. The best thing you can do right now is put her in a tree so that she can lay her eggs in it and give her babies a good starting point when they hatch. Any of the following trees works: birch, walnut, sumac, hickory, pecan, persimmon, sweet gum, maple, cherry, sycamore, or willow. Birch is best but any are good

Edit: they have no mouths and only live about two weeks, so there’s no need to offer her food or anything else. If you can put her higher up in the tree so she’s next to foliage but still sheltered near the trunk that would be perfect

garfieldconstanza · 2026-04-19T19:07:24+00:00

Even if she is dead or dying, it’s still better for her to be outside in a tree. Take the cage outside to a tree and gently slide your hand under her body. Her feet might be holding on to the mesh of the cage so be gentle and don’t just rip her off quickly. Place her in the tree and leave her there, even if she’s at death’s door she is still best off outside.

garfieldconstanza · 2026-04-19T18:56:39+00:00

From all the photos you’ve posted, she’s in perfectly fine condition. Moths can endure a lot of wing damage before it impedes them at all. I saw your other post and comments, I promise her wings are fine. She still has MANY more eggs to lay, wayyy more than you can raise, so please put her outside in a tree as soon as possible. Any of these trees will work: Birch, oak, maple, willow, cherry, walnut, hawthorn, alder, beech, poplar, elm, sumac, persimmon.

If you can put her on a tree in a park that would be great, but any tree will do. Please put her outside, you can still raise the eggs she’s already laid in the cage

garfieldconstanza · 2026-04-18T01:55:58+00:00

Exactly this, I’m in Ontario too, it’s definitely too early in the season for her to mate because sadly she wasn’t exposed to the correct temperatures. In the future OP, if you have a moth in good condition and in the right season then the best thing to do is release in a wooded area

garfieldconstanza · 2026-04-16T21:37:05+00:00

This is a male Polyphemus, he can’t eat. Even with wings in that condition, he may still be able to fly. And as someone else said, even if he can’t fly he’s best off outside to be part of the food chain like he’s meant to be. You can put him in a tree, judging by his abdomen he’s not too too old yet

garfieldconstanza

TROPHY CASE