kuripan - Out there searching for lichens to shoot! 🍄 🌿
Xanthoria Parietina, commonly known as the common orange or maritime sunburst lichen, is usually found on hardwood. For instance, this one I found on some oak trees 💁♀️ 🌳
Fun fact: this lichen is a super heavy metal and pollution-tolerant species and can be used as a bioindicator, aiding in air quality monitoring. 🌍✨
Promised to share some macros of my isopods with you, and here's a sneak peek of one of my colonies! 📸🔍 Meet the Armadillidium – pill woodlice, leg pebbles, roly-polies, or my personal fave, potato bugs! 🐜🥔✨
They spend their time munching on moss, algae, bark, and whatever organic goodies are decaying around. When they get spooked, they roll into a ball. Super cute! 😳
This species is Armadillidium arcangelii, originally from Italy but spreading to the rest of Europe through horticultural trade 🌿
Found this wild one while upgrading my basil's pot – keeping all things clean. Talk about a cool neighbor! 🏡
I've got a bunch of these little guys chilling in a #terrarium, and they're thriving! Can't wait to get up close and personal with my macro lenses to observe their little faces. 😚🔍
I've got a bunch of these little guys chilling in a #terrarium, and they're thriving! Can't wait to get up close with my macro lenses to observe their little faces. 😚🔍
Exo-terras truly elevate enclosures to the next level, although I had to replace the metal mesh on top with mosquito net to ensure Tom's feet are not injured.
She is adjusting well, as you can see, exploring and constantly staring at me while I'm sitting on my sofa. It has been almost a week since I built it, and the plants are thriving as well.
I decided to place it next to Som's enclosure, making sure the #mantids are unable to see each other in order to prevent any stress 🙈
Below you can find the stuff I used to build it 👇
SUBSTRATE 🍂
- Hydro clay at the bottom, to absorb excess moisture
- Isopod mix, tropical soil with plenty of oak leaves, decomposing wood and nutrients for the clean-up crew
- Animal-safe Charcoal pellets to absorb any bad smell
- Dry moss - Oak and jungle leaf litter
BACKGROUND 🧱
- Coco fiber panels, so that Tom can have nice places to hang if she's bored of the ceiling (will never happen probably)
- Komodo Flexi Stix
- Vine branches
PLANTS 🌱
- Epipremnum aureum (Pothos) var. Golden
- Epipremnum aureum (Pothos) var. N'joy
- Chlorophytum comosum (Spider Ivy)
I had my doubts on the ivy, since I've never used it before, but so far it's thriving! So mission accomplished I guess
CLEAN-UP CREW 🦠
- Tropical collembola will take care of mold that will inevitably form with the high humidity
- Dwarf white isopods (Trichorina Tormentosa) will eat all the other waste (such as mantis 💩)
I'm super satisfied with the results, and so is Tom! And that's the most important thing ☺️
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