Either Dubias Transform with Age, or I have a Mysterious Roach in Enclosure

[natureboy86]

So, this morning I was searching for dubias that Koop may have missed (they hide at the bottom of the pot that my umbrella plant is in), and out comes a huge roach that looks NOTHING like my dubias!

Now, I've placed some large dubias in there, so the only thing I can think of is maybe they morph into a different looking kind of roach when they age? It had wings, and NONE of the dubias I've seen in my little container have wings.. WTH!?

I'm sort of concerned.. Are my dubias communicating with local roaches and attracting domestic roaches? lol I'm serious. I know there's no way that maybe this roach was in my batch of dubias and I just didn't notice it.. I immediately noticed it in the enclosure this morning.. Can someone clarify or let me know if this has happened to them. I'm confused.

I can't upload a pic from my phone, but I googled roaches and found EXACTLY the roach I saw, it's the roach on the top

 

[Sticktongue]

It's a dubia.. top is male, bottom is female

 

[natureboy86]

It's a dubia.. top is male, bottom is female

Really!!?? Wow what a relief! The males look normal at some point? Because I never put a roach in the cage that looks like that male.. So unless he matured and grew wings or something in the last week or so, I didn't put it in there. You know what I mean?

 

[CLP]

Mature male dubias all have wings. You cannot easily sex them before this point. Males and females look basically identical until the males get their wings and the females get the black with bright orange coloring. You have been feeding immature nymphs prior to this.

 

[natureboy86]

Mature male dubias all have wings. You cannot easily sex them before this point. Males and females look basically identical until the males get their wings and the females get the black with bright orange coloring. You have been feeding immature nymphs prior to this.

Awesome. i'm glad to hear this.. Wow, that's a significant transformation.. looked nothing like the dubias i've had.

Thanks for the clarification guys!

 

[nightanole]

Next they will be asking why their orange spot roaches are grey in color...

 

[natureboy86]

Next they will be asking why their orange spot roaches are grey in color...

sorry man, i've never had adult dubias. I usually feed them off before they reach this stage. just wanted to make sure

 

[nightanole]

sorry man, i've never had adult dubias. I usually feed them off before they reach this stage. just wanted to make sure

No problem. We also get the "white is my roach white" questions when the see their first fresh molt.

 

[natureboy86]

No problem. We also get the "white is my roach white" questions when the see their first fresh molt.

lol I've seen white roaches in the enclosure too and was confused! lol is that what they go through prior to reaching adulthood?!

As you can see, I've spent my efforts of research chams and not the dubias haha

 

[nightanole]

I think they shed like 7 times, they are white for a few hours after each shed. On the final shed they turn into adults, and never shed again.

 

[natureboy86]

I think they shed like 7 times, they are white for a few hours after each shed. On the final shed they turn into adults, and never shed again.

Awesome, but ugly, little creatures. i didn't know they go through so many steps.. I always assumed the white ones were albinos lol then I assumed they were eaten because they disappeared, when in all reality, they could've just turned into adults

 

[spottea]

Now that you have an adult male, you can probably breed your own! I just ordered a couple of adult males, and some little nymphs because I want to breed my own too.
The nymphs I had, which I bought at the last reptile show are much too big, and I've had to 'rescue' them out of my cham's mouth, before she choked!
So, I'm hoping the males and large nymphs I have will breed, yay! The little ones I ordered I will use as feeders until the next reptile show at the end of this month.
So, basically, you have the beginnings of your own colony, without having to order an adult male specially.

 

[junglefries]

issues

I never would have gotten to this site for an answer. i would have taken every thing in my house out to the driveway and cleaned its way back inside my house. it would have been a week before i could have asked the question. panic first. be smart second.

 

[xbrokenbabydoll]

Defiantly a male Dubia at least you found him IN your chameleon's cage!

I found a 2" Female on my floor and I thought it was a spider made me jump, she must have escaped when she was still a nymph