The Biotic Associations of CockroachesRoth, Louis M. (Louis Marcus)
Science
The Biotic Associations of Cockroaches
Roth, Louis M. (Louis Marcus)
Cockroaches; Insects -- Ecology
_Natural and experimental prey._--_Pycnoscelus surinamensis_, Cuba
(Darlington, 1938): This species was eaten both in captivity and in
nature. The lizard ate most readily soft, immature cockroaches.
_Pycnoscelus surinamensis_ is probably a staple food of the lizard in
nature, as Darlington observed wild lizards catch the nymphs.
=Anolis stratulus= Cope
_Natural prey._--_Aglaopteryx facies_, Puerto Rico (Wolcott, 1924): One
cockroach was found in 50 lizards examined.
Cockroach, Puerto Rico (Schmidt, 1920): One of 25 stomachs contained a
cockroach.
=Anolis= sp.
_Natural prey._--"Wood roaches," British Guiana (Beebe, 1925a): The
above lizard is arboreal on foliage in low jungle.
Family SCINCIDAE
=Leiolopisma laterale= Say
_Common name._--Brown skink.
_Natural prey._--Woodroaches, U.S.A., Louisiana (Slater, 1949): Analysis
of stomach contents of 84 adult skinks showed that nymphal and adult
woodroaches comprised the majority of Orthoptera.
=Tropidophorus grayi= Günther
_Common name._--Spiny lizard.
_Natural prey._--Cockroaches, Philippine Islands, Laguna (Villadolid,
1934): Food of this species was mostly Blattidae.
=Unidentified skinks=
_Natural prey._--Cockroaches, Arno Atoll (Usinger and La Rivers, 1953).
Family AGAMIDAE
_Experimental prey?_--Cockroaches, Australia (Lee and Mackerras, 1955):
A general statement was made that in captivity Agamidae were observed
feeding avidly on cockroaches and other insects. Three agamids studied
by these workers were _Amphibolurus barbatus_ (Gray), _Physignathus
lesueurii_ Gray, and _Chlamydosaurus kingii_ Gray.
Family CHAMAELEONTIDAE
=Chamaeleon chamaeleon= (Linnaeus) and =Chamaeleon oustaleti= Mocquard
_Experimental prey._--Cockroaches, Amsterdam (Portielje, 1914): Large
cockroaches were fed to these lizards in the reptile house of Artis.
Family TEIIDAE
=Ameiva exsul= Cope
_Common name._--Iguana, ground lizard.
_Natural prey._--Cockroach (nymph), _Epilampra wheeleri_, and
_Periplaneta americana_, Puerto Rico (Wolcott, 1924): Stomach contents
of 15 lizards were analyzed. _E. wheeleri_ formed 30 percent of the food
of one lizard. The cockroach nymph formed 5 percent of the food of one
lizard. One _P. americana_ formed 20 percent of the food of one lizard;
another formed 50 percent of the food of a second lizard.
_Experimental prey._--Cockroach nymphs, Puerto Rico (Wolcott, 1924).
=Ameiva= sp.
_Natural prey._--Cockroaches, British Guiana (Beebe, 1925a): The above
lizard is terrestrial and found near clearings. The stomach contents of
18 out of 40 reptiles contained cockroach remains.
=Cnemidophorus= sp.
_Natural prey._--Cockroaches, British Guiana (Beebe, 1925a): This is a
terrestrial lizard found near clearings. The stomach contents of 4 out
of 40 lizards contained cockroaches.
=Unidentified lizards=
_Natural prey._--Cockroaches, West Indies (H., 1800).
_Experimental prey._--_Blatta orientalis_, U.S.A. (Rau, 1924): Rau
called the predator a common gray lizard.
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