Are these Dubia Roaches?

[TheUnfleshedOne]

Hello friends. For the last year or so I've been buying crickets from a local pet store to feed my GGB, but a few months back I decided to start my own Dubia colony so I could just breed feeders at home. So far, with a few minor novice mistakes, things are going well. However I have noticed these guys running around the enclosure too and I'm not entirely sure what they are. I know they are roaches of some variety, but I don't know that they are Dubia roaches. They look so different from the adults. Are they Juvinile/nymph Dubia roaches, or are they some other species of roach that has infested my colony? I've tried looking it up myself, but can't seem to get a straight answer. If they aren't Dubia roaches, then I don't know if I'd feel safe using them as feeders since I don't know where they've come from. If they aren't Dubias, should I try and remove all of them from the colony?

I managed to capture and isolate two of them to provide a reference for what I am talking about. Any help would be deeply appreciated.

 

[birdonfire]

Blatta lateralis

 

[Liquifin]

Those are Blatta lateralis or red runner roaches, which is another kind of feeder insect that people use. Sometimes people will put those with their Dubia roach colony to save space from having to do with two separate roach colonies. You can separate them from your Dubias or keep them together, it's up to you. Just don't let them escape because those can be house invasive if they get out. Otherwise, they are a great feeder to smaller and mid-size tarantulas.

 

[TheUnfleshedOne]

Those are Blatta lateralis or red runner roaches, which is another kind of feeder insect that people use. Sometimes people will put those with their Dubia roach colony to save space from having to do with two separate roach colonies. You can separate them from your Dubias or keep them together, it's up to you. Just don't let them escape because those can be house invasive if they get out. Otherwise, they are a great feeder to smaller and mid-size tarantulas.

Thanks for the response! I'll probably keep them then. I just didn't want to feed them to my spider if I didn't know what they were. And I honestly don't know where they came from. Unless some got mixed in with the Dubias that I bought. Will they eat the Dubia's eggs or be a problem for breeding?

 

[Liquifin]

Thanks for the response! I'll probably keep them then. I just didn't want to feed them to my spider if I didn't know what they were. And I honestly don't know where they came from. Unless some got mixed in with the Dubias that I bought. Will they eat the Dubia's eggs or be a problem for breeding?

I've heard they typically do fine together. But I've never kept them together myself, so I can't say for sure.

 

[TheUnfleshedOne]

I've heard they typically do fine together. But I've never kept them together myself, so I can't say for sure.

Alright, I'll keep them together. Thank you for the response. That sets my mind at ease.

 

[Dry Desert]

Alright, I'll keep them together. Thank you for the response. That sets my mind at ease.

Be careful when taking out the Dubai's to feed, as the Red Runners are very fast and good escape artist.
Hence their common name of Red Runners.

 

[PhilD]

I keep both, but wouldn't really recommend keeping them together. The lateralis breed so fast and are much better at escaping that it would be kind of annoying when you're working with them. If your colonies are really small, it might not be a big deal, but they probably wouldn't stay small for long.

 

[Centipedism]

red runners are a real pain and will almost certainly escape at some point. they can slip through tiny holes and can dart under things instantaneously. they breed so fast it's insane and having to constantly worry about them escaping any time you open the box is annoying. i'd feed the ones you have and not bother with them

 

[JonnyTorch]

red runners are a real pain and will almost certainly escape at some point. they can slip through tiny holes and can dart under things instantaneously. they breed so fast it's insane and having to constantly worry about them escaping any time you open the box is annoying. i'd feed the ones you have and not bother with them

If you keep them well contained, it's not an issue whatsoever. I keep them in a waterproof sealed container with mesh hot glued to a cut-out opening on the lid. No escapes, ever. The only time I've had anything remotely close to an "escape" is when they stick to my tongs and jump off, landing on the edge of the desk and go and hide. This has only happened twice in a year of keeping them, and I caught them. No infestation issues. They are great feeders. I keep Red Runners and Dubia. Dubia for larger specimens and Red Runners for juveniles and slings.

 

[PhilD]

Yeah, I agree that they can definitely be contained with the proper setup, as they aren't climbers, but they could run up your arm and escape if you aren't careful. Dubia on the other hand are really easy to work with, hence why I suggest keeping them separate. My Ts love red runners though for their fast speed, so I'd recommend keeping both if you can.