Fun Facts About Dubia Roaches

As with most insects, Dubia roaches are egg layers. However, the female roaches pull their egg pouches inside of their bodies, where they remain until the eggs hatch. So in a sense they are both egg layers and live bearers. Or, in technical terms, they are ovoviviparous. The newborn roaches are completely white, except for their dark eyes. The babies turn dark brown in a matter of hours.

Female with egg case.

Hatchling (about 3/16" long)

Dubia roaches go through seven instar stages, which are the growth stages between moults, until they finally become adults and stop growing. Insects have a hard, chitinous exoskeleton (unlike our internal bony skeleton). Since the exoskeleton is not flexible and doesn’t grow, it must be discarded, or moulted, to allow its wearer to continue growing. If you keep your roaches for a while, you may find these discarded exoskeletons. If you’re lucky, you may even see a moult in progress. A newly moulted roach is white with dark eyes like a newborn roach. Watching the new, soft white body emerging from a hard brown exoskeleton as it splits open looks like something out of science fiction!

Moulting roach

Newly moulted female

Newly moulted male

Roaches are social insects that need close physical contact with other roaches. We may not think of insects as having social lives, but in fact roaches have a need for community. It has been observed that newborn roaches grow more slowly if they are completely separated from adults.

Dinner time!

Dubia roaches are sexually dimorphic, meaning that the males and females differ in physical form. The females are thicker-bodied, with little wing stubs. The males are longer and thinner with full wings. They don’t fly, however. They may flutter to the ground if they’re dropped, but they don’t fly around. The roach’s tiny triangular head is held on a long, thin neck, and is protected under an extension of the exoskeleton, sort of like an umbrella held over the head. They don’t bite and are easy to handle, although the males move more quickly than the females. Roach colonies are quiet (unlike crickets!), and there is virtually no odor to a healthy colony. Dubia roaches can safely be kept in the cage or enclosure with the animals who eat them. They won’t bother reptiles or other pets. Dubias will thrive and grow as long as they have food, moisture, warmth and a place to hide from the light.