The interaction of surface and dust particle size on the pick-up and grooming behaviour of the German cockroachBlattella germanica |
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Authors: | I O El-Awami and D R Dent |
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Institution: | (1) School of Pure & Applied Biology, University of Wales, College of Cardiff, P.O. Box 915, CF1 3TL Cardiff, UK |
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Abstract: | The relationship between the particle size of an inert silica dust, its up-take from different surfaces and the grooming behaviour
of males, gravid females, and fifth and sixth instar nymphs of the German cockroachBlattella germanica (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae) (L.) was investigated. The normal grooming behaviour of gravid females, nymphs and males differed
according to sex and age. The gravid females and nymphs exhibited greater grooming activity than the males, especially of
the antennae and the legs. Gravid females, nymphs, and adult males exhibited increased grooming activity after exposure to
dust in the size range 0.5–63 μm, but there was no significant difference in grooming behaviour from the control when cockroaches
were exposed to dust sizes greater than 70 μm. Antennal grooming by males was greater than leg grooming when exposed to all
dust sizes, except size particles ranging 4.5–7.5 μm. A dust pick-up experiment indicated that the average amount of dust
transferred toB. germanica is affected by particle size, the porosity of the treated surface, and the sex and age of the cockroaches. Gravid females
picked up greater amounts of dust than fifth and sixth instar nymphs, which in turn picked up more dust than males. Silica
dust particles (0.5–7.5 μm) were picked up more effectively than larger particle sizes, by all three categories, males, females
and fifth and sixth instar nymphs of cockroach on all three test surfaces plastic, ceramic and unpainted plywood. Plywood
was the least effective surface for transfer of dust, of all sizes, to males, females and nymphs. |
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Keywords: | behaviour cockroach dust silica grooming surface substrate Blattella germanica |
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