Feeder insects

The actual staple diet for a gargoyle gecko — not an insect. A quality meal-replacement powder (MRP) is mixed with water to a thick-milkshake consistency and smeared on a feeding ledge or in a shallow dish, and it already contains the calcium, D3, and vitamins the gecko needs, formulated to a correct Ca:P ratio out of the box. Offer fresh MRP 3–4 nights a week for adults, remove any leftovers within 24 hours, and rotate between fruit flavours occasionally for variety. This one food alone can carry a gargoyle gecko's entire diet if nothing else is offered — insects below are a rotation on top of it, not a replacement for it.

The best insect to rotate alongside MRP powder. High protein, low fat, cannot climb glass, near-silent, and easy to size correctly for a gargoyle's head width. Still needs a light calcium dust before offering, since the Ca:P ratio alone is not high enough to rely on. Offer once or twice a week as a protein top-up rather than a daily staple — a gargoyle fed insects every day on top of full MRP portions will become overweight.

Sold as the traditional gargoyle gecko insect offering — length of cricket should match the width of the gecko's head. Erratic movement triggers a strong hunting response, which is useful for a gecko that has become a lazy MRP-only eater. Dust with calcium before every offering. Noisy, short-lived, and will nip a sleeping gecko if left in overnight, so remove anything uneaten within 15 minutes.

The one feeder insect with a naturally favourable Ca:P ratio, making it a useful occasional protein top-up that does not throw off the calcium balance the MRP diet already provides. Cannot be gut-loaded — nutrition is fixed. A good size-appropriate choice for smaller or younger gargoyles that are still transitioning onto whole insects.

Nearly identical nutritional profile to dubia roaches and a good alternative if dubia are unavailable in your region. Cannot fly, so handling and cleanup are simple. Soft-bodied and easy to digest, which suits a gecko whose gut is used to mostly liquid MRP.

Very low fat and high moisture, soft-bodied, and generally well accepted. A good option after illness or for a gargoyle that has gone off its MRP for a while and needs a gentle appetite nudge. They require a specific diet (mulberry leaves or artificial chow) and die quickly without it, which makes them harder to keep on hand than dubia or crickets.

Extremely high moisture — useful for a gargoyle that drinks little and is approaching a shed. Too low in protein to be a regular feeder. Grow very fast and are best ordered a few at a time so they do not outgrow the enclosure before they are eaten. Cut into smaller pieces for juveniles.

Popular for other geckos, but poorly suited to gargoyles: the tough chitin exoskeleton is harder to digest than a roach's, the Ca:P ratio is poor, and repeated feeding has been linked to impaction risk in this species by many experienced keepers. If offered at all, keep it a rare treat only for larger adults and avoid entirely for juveniles.

Large, high-fat, and heavily armoured with chitin — a poor match for a gecko that is not adapted to crunching through large hard-bodied prey the way an insectivorous species is. Strong jaws are not what makes a superworm risky; the size and shell are. Skip these for gargoyles.

The most calorie-dense common feeder, and highly palatable to the point that a gargoyle offered them regularly may start refusing its MRP. Reserve strictly for appetite stimulation in an underweight or recovering gecko, or as a very occasional treat. Cannot be gut-loaded.

Lethal. Fireflies produce lucibufagins — defensive steroids that are acutely toxic to geckos and other insectivorous reptiles. A single firefly has killed geckos in documented cases. There is no safe amount. Never feed any wild-caught insect.

Any insect from your garden or an outdoor space carries pesticide residue and parasite risk. There is no reliable way to test or clean a wild insect. Use only captive-bred insects from a reputable supplier.

Wild gargoyle geckos take fruit, nectar, and sap alongside insects, and a small amount of mashed soft fruit (banana, mango, papaya) can be offered as an occasional extra. It should never replace the fortified MRP diet, since plain fruit carries none of the calcium or vitamin balance the powder provides — think of it as flavour enrichment, not nutrition.