Regulation of Isopods in the United States
The isopod hobby in the United states is regulated by the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), with permitting and other concerns directly related to isopods handled a sub-agency of the USDA, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
Background
{I came across an anecdote that Smug Bug is responsible for the regulation of isopods by trying to get her species permitted in I want to say 2014. I want to include this info here, if true.}
Overview
As of May 2023, according to an APHIS's senior entomologist, the following are the only federally legal species approved for commerce, trade, and private captivity:
- Armadillidium klugii
- Armadillidium maculatum
- Armadillidium nasatum
- Armadillidium vulgare
- Atlantoscia floridiana
- Cylisticus convexus
- Cubaris murina
- Oniscus asellus
- Porcellio dilatatus
- Porcellio laevis
- Porcellio scaber
- Porcellio spinicornis
- Porcellionides pruinosus
- Porcellionides floria
- Porcellionides virgatus
- Rhyscotus texensis
- Trachelipus rathkii
- Trichoniscus pusillus
- Trichorhina tomentosa
Individual States
In addition to federal regulations, individual states may also prohibit the commerce and private ownership of various species, even if they appear on the list of federally approved isopods. Each state may have their own suite of reasons for disallowing an otherwise legal species.