
Originally Posted by
JeffreH
There are a variety of species that produce small enough nymphs to be fed to very small frogs - equivalent size to pinhead crickets. Your best bet is going to be the smaller species of roach; and those who lay ooths vs. live birth tend to produce smaller nymphs as well.
What species are available to you? I can suggest some additional ones that are less common, but a good start would be the Turkistan Roach (Blatta lateralis), also known as the Red Runner or Shelfordella lateralis. Lobster Roaches (Nauphoeta cinerea) also produce relatively small nymphs (~1/16" or less) but give live birth and are easier to culture; but climb glass and smooth surfaces. Blatta orientalis is another option though rarer to find, along with some other small species such as the Surinam Roach which is actually a parthenogenic species (Pycnoscelus surinamensis). Many of the "pest" species such as the American or German roach may also produce small, softer bodied nymphs. I fear the common larger roaches such as B. dubia and those in the Blaberus or Eublaberus genus would produce too large or nymphs for you and be far too impractical to rear...
You would basically have to breed them and collect/separate the babies, as most suppliers do not sell newborn nymphs as readily. But roaches are quite easy to culture and make for less hassle than breeding crickets, or provide more variety... The ootheca laying species like Blatta lateralis would make this simple, as you could separate egg cases out from the main culture and keep them in a hatching container or cup to have quantities of newborns. So I fear this suggestion isn't going to help in your current pinch, but can aid you in the future as an additional and reliable small prey supply.