The Biotic Associations of CockroachesRoth, Louis M. (Louis Marcus)
Science
The Biotic Associations of Cockroaches
Roth, Louis M. (Louis Marcus)
Cockroaches; Insects -- Ecology
_Synonymy._--_Anastatus blattidarum_ Ferrière. Dr. C. Ferrière (personal
communication, 1957) is of the opinion that his _A. blattidarum_ is a
synonym of _A. tenuipes_. He stated "I have never been able to see the
unique type of _A. tenuipes_ B. y P., which is in Madrid, but the
description agrees with _A. blattidarum_. I had not yet knowledge of
Bolívar's description, when describing my species. The parasite of
cockroaches eggs [_Supella supellectilium_] should be called _A.
tenuipes_ Bol." Mani (1938) synonymized _Solindenia blattiphagus_ Mani
with _Anastatus blattidarum_.
_Natural hosts._--_Supella supellectilium_, Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
(Ferrière, 1930, 1935); U.S.A., Arizona (Flock, 1941); Egypt (Alfieri,
_in_ Hafez and Afifi, 1956). Ohio (Hull and Davidson, 1958).
_Periplaneta americana_, India (Burks _in_ Roth and Willis, 1954a).
Cockroach, Hawaii (Weber, 1951); India (Mani, 1936).
The following is based on parasites that developed on eggs of _Supella
supellectilium_ (Flock, 1941): _Adult behavior._--Wasp may be seen
running rapidly on walls in buildings infested with the cockroach host.
The wasp rarely flies but hops proficiently; when disturbed it can hop
from several inches to several feet. The female licks up the drop of
fluid that oozes from the oviposition puncture. Females die in a few
days, but if fed honey and water may live two weeks. _Oviposition._--The
female selects an oötheca by feeling with her antennae. Flock stated,
without citing experimental evidence, that the age of the egg case was
apparently the chief factor determining choice. The wasp took 15-45
minutes to oviposit. Three females oviposited simultaneously into a
single oötheca; a single female repeatedly oviposited into one oötheca
at intervals. _Development._--Completed in an average of 32.6 days at a
constant temperature of 82° F.
_Number of parasites per oötheca._--Average about 10.7 (range 4-16)
(Flock, 1941); 15 (Ferrière, 1935).
_Sex ratio._--4 [F][F]:1 [M] (Ferrière, 1935); average of 6 [F][F]:1 [M]
(Flock, 1941). Parthenogenesis occurs; the unfertilized eggs produced
only males (Flock, 1941).
_Distribution._--U.S.A.: Maryland, south to Florida, west to Illinois,
Kansas, and Arizona. Guatemala; Hawaii; India; Egypt; Sudan. (Burks,
personal communication, 1956).
=Eupelmus atriflagellum= Girault
_Natural host._--_Blattella germanica_, Australia, Queensland (Girault,
1924).
=Eupelmus= sp.
_Natural host._--"Tree cockroach," U.S.A., Florida (Howard, 1892).
=Solindenia picticornis= Cameron
_Natural hosts._--_Allacta similis_, Hawaii (Perkins, 1906, 1913;
Timberlake, 1924; Swezey, 1929; Zimmerman, 1948).
Other species of cockroaches, Hawaii (Perkins, 1913).
Family PTEROMALIDAE
=Pteromalus= sp.?
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