Abstract
Virgin German cockroach females, Blattella germanica(L.), were observed, for the first time, to exhibit a characteristic calling behavior during which females emit a volatile sex pheromone. Under a photoperiod of 12L∶12D, the percentage of 7-day-old virgin females that exhibited this behavior peaked before the end of the scotophase in a similar pattern to the diel periodicity of mating. A clear relationship was evident between calling and stages of sexual receptivity during successive gonotrophic cycles. Females initiated calling 5–6 days after the imaginal molt, when their basal oocytes were 1.6 mm long. If not mated, females continued to exhibit bouts of calling during the next 3–4 days until 24 h before ovulation. Calling was completely suppressed by mating as well as the presence of an egg case in the genital atrium in both virgin and mated gravid females. We suggest that calling and the emission of a volatile sex pheromone serve to attract males from a distance as well as to potentiate responses to contact sex pheromone in aggregations.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Breed, M. D. (1983). Cockroach mating systems. In Gwynne, D. T., and Morris, G. K. (eds.);Orthopteran Mating Systems, Westview Press, Boulder, CO, pp. 268–284.
Cardé, R. T., and Baker, T. C. (1984). Sexual communication with pheromones. In Bell, W. J., and Cardé, R. T. (eds.),Chemical Ecology of Insects, Chapman and Hall, New York, pp. 355–383.
Charlton, R. E., Webster, F. X., Zhang, A., Schal, C., Liang, D., Sreng, I., and Roelofs, W. L. (1993). Identification of a novel dialkyl substituted α-pyrone sex pheromone for the brown-banded cockroachPNAS, U.S.A. (in press).
Cornwell, P. B. (1968).The Cockroach, Vol. 1., Rentokil Library, Hutchinson, London.
Gadot, M., Burns, E., and Schal, C. (1989). Juvenile hormone biosynthesis and oocyte development in adult femaleBlattella germanica: Effects of grouping and mating.Arch. Insect Biochem. Physiol. 11: 189–200.
Hales, R. A., and Breed, M. D. (1983). Female calling and reproductive behavior in the brown banded cockroach,Supella longipalpa (F.) (Orthoptera: Blattellidae).Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 76:239–241.
Krasnoff, S. B., and Roelofs, W. L. (1988). Sex pheromone released as an aerosol by the mothPyrrharctia Isabella.Nature 333: 263–265.
Kunkel, J. G. (1973). Gonadotrophic effect of juvenile hormone inBlattella germanica: A rapid, simple quantitative bioassay.J. Insect Physiol. 19: 1285–1297.
Liang, D., and Schal, C. (1993a). Volatile sex pheromone in the female German cockroach.Experientia 49:324–328.
Liang, D., and Schal, C. (1993b). Neural and hormonal regulation of female calling behavior in German cockroach,Blattella germanica (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae)J. Insect Physiol. (in press).
Liang, D., and Schal, C. (1993c). Ultrastructure and maturation of a sex pheromone gland in the female German cockroach,Blattella germanica. Tissue & Cell (in press).
Nishia, R., and Fukami, H. (1983). Female sex pheromone of the German cockroach,Blattella germanica. Mem. Coll. Agr. Kyoto Univ. 122: 1–24.
Roth, L. M., and Stay, B. (1962). Oocyte development inBlattella germanica andBlattella vaga (Blattaria).Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 55: 633–642.
Roth, L. M., and Willis, E. R. (1952). A study of cockroach behavior.Am. Midl. Nat. 47: 66–129.
Schal, C., and Bell, W. J. (1985). Calling behavior in female cockroaches (Dictyoptera: Blattaria).J. Kans. Entomol. Soc. 58: 261–268.
Schal, C., and Cardé, R. T. (1985). Rhythmic extrusion of pheromone gland elevates pheromone release rate.Experientia 41: 1617–1619.
Schal, C., and Hamilton, R. L. (1990). Integrated suppression of synanthropic cockroaches.Annu. Rev. Entomol. 35: 521–551.
Schal, C., Gautier, J.-Y., and Bell, W. J. (1984). Behavioural ecology of cockroaches.Biol. Rev. 59: 209–254.
Schal, C., Burns, E. L., Jurenka, R. A., and Blomquist, G. J. (1990). A new component of the female sex pheromone ofBlattella germanica (L.) (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae) and interaction with other pheromone components.J. Chem. Ecol. 16: 1997–2008.
Schal, C., Chiang, A.-S., Burns, E. L., Gadot, M., and Cooper, R. A. (1993). Role of the brain in juvenile hormone synthesis and oocyte development: Effects of dietary protein in the cockroachBlattella germanica (L.).J. Insect Physiol. 39:303–313.
Seelinger, G. (1984). Sex-specific activity patterns inPeriplaneta americana and their relation to mate-finding.Z. Tierpsychol. 65: 309–326.
Smith, A. F., and Schal, C. (1990a). Corpus allatum control of sex pheromone production and calling in the female brown-banded cockroach,Supella longipalpa (F.) (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae).J. Insect Physiol. 36: 251–257.
Smith, A. F., and Schal, C. (1990b). The physiological basis for the termination of pheromone-releasing behaviour in the female brown-banded cockroach,Supella longipalpa (F.) (Dictyop-tera: Blattellidae).J. Insect Physiol. 36: 369–373.
Smith, A. F., and Schal, C. (1991). Circadian calling behavior of the adult female brown-banded cockroach,Supella longipalpa (F.) (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae).J. Insect Behav. 4: 1–14.
Willis, E. R. (1970). Mating behavior of three cockroaches (Latiblattella) from Honduras.Biotrop-ica 2: 120–128.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Liang, D., Schal, C. Calling behavior of the female german cockroach,Blattella germanica (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae). J Insect Behav 6, 603–614 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01048126
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01048126