Any Experts on Dubia Roaches Out There?

[Insektzuchen]

Every once in a while i'll find one of my adult female Dubia Roaches with some type of appendage (?) protruding from its tail end. I've placed them separately in a container to see what happens with it. Once it kept coming out til it was 1/2 inch long. Another time it broke off. And once it just retracted back into her body.

I always thought that Dubia popped out live nymphs and didn't lay eggs or egg cases (that's what these look like). On my golden Dubia the appendage is white, on the black Dubia it's blood red.

Does anyone know what this is. And keep in mind these are females so it can't be a males' junk.

Cheers

 

[goodyt]

I've been breeding dubias for about a year. That is an eggsac that they let protrude from their bodies periodically. They will eventually pull them back into their bodies and eventually give live birth. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdlpRR5R76o

 

[Insektzuchen]

Thanks. That was an interesting video. I've never seen mine give birth before. I just see lots of little brown nymphs running around in the substrate. I don't use egg crates.

 

[goodyt]

You are welcome. I cannot stand using egg crates. It just looks awful to me. I don't recommend it but I have had success breeding my dubias in a larger tall terrarium

with some big branches a couple of giant cave roaches breeding with them and it is constantly being stored with crickets.

 

[bugmankeith]

This roach forum has everything you need to know on roach species. http://www.roachforum.com/

 

[Insektzuchen]

Yeah, I subsequently found some info on Wikipedia such as: the female will drop the egg sac if she becomes stressed out; you should have a 1:4 ratio of males to females or it can inhibit breeding, among other things. Feeding them oranges, increases breeding.
I've personally found that they prefer a damp substrate to egg crates and I've noticed an increase in nymphs once I switched. And I've purged my two colonies of all excess males, saving just a few Über males.

Thanks again.

 

[bugmankeith]

Yeah, I subsequently found some info on Wikipedia such as: the female will drop the egg sac if she becomes stressed out; you should have a 1:4 ratio of males to females or it can inhibit breeding, among other things. Feeding them oranges, increases breeding.
I've personally found that they prefer a damp substrate to egg crates and I've noticed an increase in nymphs once I switched.

Thanks again.

Your right about everything except ratio they will breed whether there are 2 or 200 individuals.

 

[Insektzuchen]

I'm just quoting Wikipedia. Anyway, they did seem like a waste of food and space.