Dubia roaches, also called Dubias (Blaptica dubia) is a healthy well balanced foodstuff for pet Leopard geckos and other insectivorous lizards.
Introduction to feeding Dubia roaches to Leopard geckos
As with most other nutritionally balanced insects, Dubias contains most of the main ingredients, namely proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, vitamins and water. The fact that Dubias are practical and easy to breed, manageable and non-odorous makes them increasingly popular feeder insects.
Adult Dubia roaches. Image from DragonRancher.com
Female Dubias have no wings where the males do, but rarely flies. They are slow-moving and do not like to climb vertical surfaces. When compared with crickets, they are not noisy.
Dubia roach adults are blackish with brown markings and the growing nymphs are brownish with spots. All stages appear white soon after moulting. Unlike most other cockroaches and crickets, Dubia roaches are known to have a non-odorous smell.
Dubia roaches are well balanced and are great to feed to Leopard geckos. With their relatively soft bodies, they are easy to chew and digest.
Sizes range from nymphs which are about 3 mm / 1/8 ” in length to adults growing to about 3.8 cm / 1 ½ “. This size range is ideal to feed to juvenile and adult Leopard geckos.
Feeder Dubia roaches range from 3 mm / 1/8 ” in length to about 3.8 cm / 1 ½ “. Image from DubiaRoachDepot.com
Feeder Dubias should be gut-loaded twenty-four to forty-eight hours prior to being fed to Leopard geckos.
