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If you’re new to owning reptiles, it might be hard to imagine having a colony of roaches living in your house. But if you’ve owned reptiles for a while, you’ll know that roaches are some of the best feeder insects you can have. And compared to other feeders, they make great roommates, too!
In this article, we’re going to compare two of the fan favorite feeder roach species: dubia roaches and discoid roaches. Both are good choices for a lot of reasons, but a few crucial differences might make you pick one over the other.
Let’s dive in and figure out which is the right choice for you.
What the Two Most Popular Feeder Roaches Have in Common
As we already mentioned, roaches are some of the best insects to keep in your house. And that’s a big plus, because experienced reptile keepers know that having a colony of feeder insects is the best way to ensure you have a steady supply of healthy food.
Insect colonies vary in complexity and potential downsides. Some insects are better escapists than others, some stink more than others, and some require more maintenance than others. The good news is that both dubia and discoid roaches:
- are terrible escape artists
- produce almost no smell
- require very little maintenance to keep
Dubia and discoid roaches are both bad climbers. Dubias are almost entirely flightless, and discoid roaches are completely flightless.
They’re also both very easy to keep. All they need is a plastic storage bin, some egg flats, and a steady supply of insect food (stale bread or breakfast cereal). They both do great at room temperature and medium humidity, which is easy to maintain.
The other thing they have in common is their nutritional content. Dubias and discoids are both what we think of as a “lean meat” feeder insect, with high protein and low-moderate fat.
This makes them a great staple feeder for pets like bearded dragons and leopard geckos, especially when mixed with a fatty feeder like a superworm.
Now let’s look a little closer at how they differ and figure out which is right for you.
Dubia Roach Biology
The dubia roach (Blaptica dubia) is a small ground-dwelling cockroach native to temperate South America. It lives in leaf litter on the forest floor, and hence doesn’t have much use for wings or the ability to climb. Only males have wings, which are stunted, and they have only rarely been documented to fly. Their bodies reach 1.5” in length at adulthood.
Dubia roaches are a lean protein with a low fiber content and high calcium, although you will need to dust them to get them to the ideal 2:1 calcium to phosphorus ratio that reptiles need.
Here are the full nutrition facts for dubia roaches:
Dubia Roach Nutrition Facts
Protein: 22%
Fat: 7.7%
Moisture: 60%
Ash: 1.7%
Fiber: 2.9%
Calcium to Phosphorus ratio: 2:3
Dubia roaches are mostly slow moving, although not as slow as mealworms and superworms. Their size makes them appropriate for subadult and smaller adult bearded dragons. Larger bearded dragons may need something larger as their main food source.
Dubia Roach Downsides
Dubia roaches have two major downsides. One is that they are low in fat, which means they aren’t an all-in-one feeder. You will want to supplement your pet’s diet with a fattier feeder, like a superworm.
The other downside is that dubia roaches are illegal in two states: Florida and Hawaii. The reason for this is that dubia roaches need very high temperatures to reproduce.
For most of the United States, this means that if a dubia roach escapes in your house, it will just die. But if a dubia roach escaped captivity in the Florida heat, it could successfully reproduce and become an invasive species.
So, if you live in Florida or Hawaii, you will need to look for another feeder insect. This is one of the main reasons people use discoid roaches instead of dubias.
Discoid Roach Biology
The discoid roach or false death’s head roach (Blaberus discoidalis) is a ground- and tree-dwelling roach species native to Central America, the Caribbean, and Florida. Similar to the dubia roach, they do have wings, but are not active fliers and can’t climb sheer surfaces. They reach 1.5-2” at adulthood, slightly longer than the dubia roach, which can be good for older, larger pets like bearded dragons.
Discoid roaches are also more active and much faster than dubias. This may make them slightly worse housemates, but it also makes them more interesting prey for active hunters like beardies and leopard geckos.
Discoid roaches have very similar nutritional value to dubias, with slightly higher fiber and slightly lower calcium content. Like with dubias, you will want to dust them to increase their calcium. Here are their full nutritional facts:
Discoid Roach Biology
Protein: 17%
Fat: 8%
Moisture: 66%
Ash: 1%
Fiber: 3%
Calcium to Phosphorus ratio: 1:3
Because discoid roaches are native to Florida, they are legal in the state. This is one of their main benefits over dubias.
Discoid Roach Downsides
However, discoid roaches are still illegal in Hawaii. So if you live in Hawaii, you may need to pick neither and look for a third option. In these cases, we usually recommend black soldier fly larvae.
Discoid roaches also have the same downside as dubias, in that they are high in protein and low in fat. You may want to supplement them with a fatty insect like a superworm.
Which Should You Choose?
Dubias and discoid roaches are very similar, but they have a few key differences. The biggest distinction is the dubia roach being illegal in Florida. So if you live in Florida, it’s an easy choice.
If you live somewhere else, base your decision on your pet’s size and activity level.
Dubias are smaller and slightly slower, which works well for smaller beardies, but might not be as entertaining for reptiles who love actively hunting their prey. Discoid roaches are slightly longer, which suits older bearded dragons. But they’re also faster, which is a plus for energetic pets.