New Morph Genetics? Can you actually reliably identify the correct mutation?

[bughunter07]

I have been field collecting some naturalized isopod species near my house. After a bit of searching, I found 3 “White-out” individuals of Armadillidium vulgare. It was just a wild population, and a bit odd to find all three of them in the same spot, at the same time. To my knowledge, they are the first of their kind to be introduced to the hobby.

Although, for something that has already been introduced to the market of captive breeding and selling such as hypomelanistic/T+ Albinism/T- Albinism, etc. how would you go about correctly identifying/isolating these mutations? Would you just take a chance and add them to the existing line present in the market, or breed/market them as a different line? (Ex. A. vulgare "T+ Albino #2) To not taint the lines with a totally different mutation?

I will add pictures to represent my question, as I know sometimes my conversation in this community can be a tiny bit confusing…

I know there are an indefinite number of diverse forms of Albinism, Hypomelanism, etc. and I really don’t want to mix something I shouldn’t and market it as something that it isn’t, you know? Thanks a lot!

First ever A. vulgare “White-out”:

Unkown isopod in question (Has lighter orange/pinkish eyes and still retains yellow/green markings):

[bughunter07]

I also feel that this could be a great discussion to have for anyone else with the same questions, so I figured I would ask it here. It is also a very specific question that I couldn’t seem to find with a Google search.

[erie-herps]

Start a colony of both types (the pre-existing morph and the ones you found) and then take a male and subadult female (to make sure the female doesn’t have babies from a different male) and breed them together. If you get wildtypes it’s a new morph. If you get the exact same look, it’s a new line of the same mutation.

[bughunter07]

Wow, that makes lots of sense. Thanks so much for the answer!

EDIT: So to my understanding, there is no true way to identify exactly what mutation it is if it ends up new? Could I just name it something like “Butter” or “Vanilla Pudding” until i found out exactly what it was? (For something that is a lighter yellow that could be an albino, t+, or hypomelanistic)

[erie-herps]

Until test breeding I personally wouldn’t name or sell it. If it’s the same mutation you don’t want to just rename it as something new.

[bughunter07]

Ok, thank you!