Unearthing the Secrets: Why Discoid Roaches Love to Burrow

Welcome to Part 2 of our educational series on Discoid Roaches. Today, we're going to explore why Discoid Roaches, unlike their close counterparts Dubia Roaches, burrow!

When you picture a cockroach, you might imagine it scuttling across a surface or hiding in a crevice. While Blaberus discoidalis, the discoid roach, certainly does that, anyone who keeps them knows they have another favorite pastime: burrowing. Unlike some insects that dig intricate tunnels with specialized limbs, the discoid roach's "burrowing" is a more subtle, yet equally fascinating, display of instinct. Let's dig into why these gentle giants love to disappear beneath the surface.

Discoid Roaches hiding

More Than Just Hiding: The Instinct to Go Under

To us, a pile of substrate might just be dirt or coco fiber. To a discoid roach, it's a world of opportunity for safety, comfort, and survival. Their burrowing behavior isn't a random act; it's deeply rooted in their natural history and essential for their well-being.

1. Safety First: Evading Predators (and Us!) In their native habitats, which stretch from parts of Central America to the Caribbean, discoid roaches are a food source for a variety of animals – birds, rodents, lizards, and more. Being able to quickly disappear into the substrate provides an immediate and effective defense mechanism. When threatened, their instinct is to literally go underground, making themselves invisible to potential dangers. In a captive environment, this translates to them feeling secure and less stressed. Ever tried to find a discoid roach that just vanished? It's likely buried itself!

   
   

2. The Quest for Humidity: A Tropical Imperative Discoid roaches hail from tropical and subtropical regions, where humidity is often high. While they don't appreciate soggy conditions in captivity (which can lead to mold and mites), they do require a certain level of environmental moisture. The substrate, especially slightly damp coco fiber or peat moss, creates a microclimate beneath the surface that is often more humid and stable than the open air of their enclosure. By burrowing, they can self-regulate their exposure to humidity, preventing desiccation (drying out) and ensuring optimal physiological function. It's their natural way of finding a personal humid hide.

   
   

3. Temperature Regulation: Finding the Goldilocks Zone Just like humidity, temperature can fluctuate throughout the day and night. The substrate acts as a natural insulator. If the ambient temperature in the enclosure gets too warm, burrowing into the cooler depths of the substrate can offer a refreshing retreat. Conversely, if it gets a bit chilly, the substrate can provide a buffer, trapping warmth from the surface or simply being more thermally stable than the open air. This allows them to thermoregulate, seeking out the "just right" temperature for their metabolism.

   
   

4. Molting Sanctuary: A Vulnerable Time Like all insects, discoid roaches grow by molting – shedding their old exoskeleton. This is an incredibly vulnerable period. After molting, their new cuticle is soft and fragile, making them susceptible to injury or predation. Burrowing deep into the substrate provides a safe, quiet, and often more humid environment to undergo this critical process without disturbance. You'll often find a freshly molted, pale discoid roach emerging from the substrate once its new exoskeleton has hardened.

   
   

   

   Burrowing Discoids

The Art of the Discoid Dig: Push, Wiggle, and Disappear

Discoid roaches don't have powerful digging claws like a mole or a beetle larva. Instead, their burrowing is more of a gradual, persistent process:

• They use their strong legs and broad, flattened bodies to push and wiggle their way into the substrate.

• Their robust pronotum (the shield-like plate behind their head) acts like a mini-bulldozer, pushing material aside.

• They simply "swim" through the loose substrate, displacing particles as they descend.

It's an efficient, if not elegant, method that serves their survival needs perfectly.

Providing the Right "Dirt" for Digging

For keepers, understanding this behavior means providing the right environment. A loose, absorbent substrate like coco fiber, peat moss, or even a mix of both, at a depth of at least 2-4 inches (5-10 cm), is crucial. This gives them ample opportunity to engage in this natural behavior. Not only does it make for happier, healthier roaches, but it also allows you to observe a fascinating aspect of their biology. Side note: We prefer the use of Frass, but we'll create a future article for this along with an explanation.

So in closing, the next time you peek into your discoid roach enclosure and find many of them "missing," remember they haven't escaped. They're simply doing what comes naturally: burrowing for safety, comfort, and survival. It's a quiet testament to their remarkable instincts and adaptability.

And that wraps up Part 2 of our educational series of Discoid Roaches. We hope you enjoy learning with us :)

Mel and Chris Adams

Luna Roaches