The backbone of the diet for most keepers. A powdered MRP (Pangea Fruit Mix, Repashy Crested Gecko Diet/Grub Pie) mixed with water into a thin, smooth paste is nutritionally complete and safely covers calcium, D3, and protein without a single live insect. Smear a small amount on a leaf or in a shallow cap 3–4 nights a week — mourning geckos will lap it directly, the same way they lap nectar in the wild. Remove and replace any uneaten portion within 24 hours to avoid mould in a humid enclosure.

No brand makes a mourning-gecko-specific MRP, so keepers use the same Pangea/Repashy powders formulated for crested and gargoyle geckos — the nutritional profile suits a small nectivorous/frugivorous species just as well. Multiple flavours help encourage consistent feeding across a colony; rotate flavours rather than sticking to one.

The single best live feeder for this species — actually sized for a mourning gecko's tiny mouth, unlike almost every feeder insect marketed for reptiles generally. A small culture kept going in a fruit fly production cup and dusted with calcium can be tapped directly into the enclosure a couple of times a week. Flightless (wingless) cultures are far easier to manage than winged.

Primarily a bioactive clean-up crew, but a self-sustaining culture in the substrate also gives hatchlings and juveniles a source of correctly sized live prey to hunt between scheduled feedings — genuinely useful for a species this small, not just decorative.

Fine occasionally for larger sub-adults and adults specifically at pinhead size — anything bigger is already too large. Dust with calcium first. Erratic movement makes them a good hunting-enrichment item, but remove any uneaten crickets within 15 minutes; left overnight they will nibble on a sleeping gecko.

A drop of honey diluted heavily with water on a leaf mimics the floral nectar this species forages in the wild and is a good occasional treat — never a diet replacement, since it supplies sugar with essentially no protein, calcium, or vitamins. Wipe up any uneaten residue; sugar water attracts pests fast.

Ripe, soft fruit mashed into a smear is a fine occasional treat reflecting this species' natural frugivory, in tiny amounts given the gecko's size. MRP already supplies the fruit-based nutrition needed day to day, so this is enrichment, not a staple.

Sized for far larger geckos. Even the smallest dubia nymphs and mealworms are typically too wide and too tough-bodied for an animal that weighs a few grams, creating a real choking and impaction risk. Skip these entirely for this species regardless of age — they belong on a crested or leopard gecko's menu, not a mourning gecko's.

Far too large-bodied and far too fatty for a 2–4g gecko — 22% fat content in an insect that's also oversized for the mouth. No good reason to offer these to a mourning gecko.

High acidity can irritate the digestive tract and isn't part of this species' natural diet. Skip oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit entirely.

Contains persin, a fungicidal toxin considered dangerous to many animals. Every part of the plant — fruit, skin, pit, and leaves — should be kept well away from the enclosure.

Lethal to reptiles generally — fireflies produce lucibufagins, defensive steroid toxins that cause rapid death if ingested. There is no safe amount. Never feed any wild-caught bioluminescent insect.

Any insect from your garden or an outdoor space carries pesticide residue, herbicide contamination, and parasite risk with no reliable way to test or clean it, and most are the wrong size regardless. Only feed captive-bred insects from a reputable supplier.