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Behavioral lab bioassays involving termites must be promptly performed to allow intended observations prior to death from dissecation, typical of these soft-bodied insects. To this end, topic markers have been proposed as an alternative to histological stains which, while not always toxic are inevitably lengthy to apply. Among recommended topic markers, gouache is easy to apply, dries out quickly, but it is known affect termites in the long run, being suitable only to short-term bioassays. Its alternative, colored glue, is also easy to apply, but it takes long to dry and it is too dense and heavy, being thus prone to affect termite walking patterns. Here we tested a mix of gouache and colored glue aiming to combine the qualities of both into a suitable topical marker for Cornitermes cumulans termites. Similar patterns of survival presented by marked and unmarked termites ruled out concerns about toxicity of this mixture. Such results were consistent across distinct group densities evidencing that the mixture does not interfere with, nor it is affected by, crowding effects. Because crowding regulates interindividual interactions and these underlie most behaviors, the mixture can be thought to be suitable to behavioral studies. We argue that this 1:2 glue:gouache mixture is an excellent alternative to mark termites for lab bioassays. Being atoxic, cheap, easy to apply, and non-invasive, this mixture may happen to be useful not only for termites but also in bioassaying other similarly soft-bodied insects. Resumo Bioensaios comportamentais em laboratório com cupins devem ser realizados rapidamente a fim de garantir observações antes da morte por dissecação, típico desses insetos de corpo mole. Para este fim, marcadores tópicos têm sido propostos como uma alternativa para marcadores histológicos que, embora nem sempre tóxico, possuem uma aplicação demorada. Entre os marcadores tópicos recomendados, tinta guache é de fácil aplicação, rápida secagem, porém afeta os cupins em bioensaios longos, sendo adequado apenas para bioensaios curtos. Sua alternativa, cola colorida, também é de fácil aplicação mas leva muito tempo para secar e é muito denso e pesado, afetando os padrões de caminhamento dos cupins. No presente estudo, nós testamos uma mistura de tinta guache e cola colorida objetivando combinar as qualidades de ambos os marcadores tópicos em um marcador tópico adequado para Cornitermes cumulans. Padrões similares de sobrevivência entre cupins marcados e controle indicam a ausência de toxicidade na mistura de tinta guache e cola colorida. Tais resultados são consistentes em grupos de densidades distintas, o que comprova que a mistura não interfere, nem sofre efeitos de aglomeração. Uma vez que a aglomeração regula as interações inter-individuais e afetam a maioria dos comportamentos, a mistura pode ser adequada para estudos comportamentais. Nós argumentamos que a mistura de tinta guache e cola (1:2) é uma excelente alternativa como marcador tópico em cupins para bioensaios em laboratório. Sendo atóxico, barato, fácil de aplicar e não invasivo, esta mistura pode ser útil não só para os cupins, mas também em bioensaios com outros insetos de corpo mole.

Background: A relationship between body size and longevity has long been appreciated within eukaryotes, especially vertebrates. Introduction: In general, the large size is associated with increased longevity among species of mammals and birds but is associated with decreased longevity within individual species such as dogs and mice. In this study, we examined the relationship between measures of individual body size and longevity in a captive population of speckled cockroaches (Nauphoeta cineria). Methods: Newly molted adults of both sexes were removed from a mass colony housed in multiple terraria and housed individually with food and water provided ad libitum for the duration of their lifespan. Thrice weekly, the status (i.e., live/dead) of individual cockroaches was noted for the duration of the study. Individuals found dead were weighed and measured to obtain body mass and morphometric measures, and the age at the time of death was recorded. The relationship between body size and lifespan was assessed. Result: Contrary to what is commonly seen within vertebrates, large cockroaches were longerlived than their smaller counterparts. Specifically, body mass, body length, and pronotum width were all significantly correlated with the age at death in a mixed population of males and females (n = 94). In addition, we found that the longevity of a historically larger population in terms of both body mass and body length was significantly longer-lived than the population used in this study. Conclusion: These data indicate there is a significant interaction between body size and aging in this species and that increased size results in a survival advantage. There is evidence in the literature indicating that a positive relationship between size and longevity may be common in insects.

Graphical abstract, Highlights • The German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.), is one of the prominent pests. • Two field strains German cockroach in Penang were tested against two commercial insecticides (deltamethrin and fenitrothion). • Deltamethrin is effective in controlling the German cockroach on both EL and IC fiels strains., The German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.), a prominent pest that requires management due to its detrimental economic and medical consequences. Several research discovered that German cockroaches were insecticide resistant, mainly commercial pesticides. One-week-old nymphs from two strains in Penang, Malaysia (Georgetown strain: EL and Greenlane strain: IC strain) were tested in the laboratory against two commercial insecticides, Cislin® 25 (deltamethrin) and Sumithion 50 (fenitrothion). The concentration of solutions used in the residual test based on the manufacturer labeling. Cislin® was tested at 1.90 ppm, 1.60 ppm, 1.30 ppm, and 1.0 ppm; Sumithion 50 was tested at 25 and 27.00 ppm, 23.00 ppm, 18.00 ppm, 14.00 ppm using the residual method. Probit analysis and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to compare the data. Cislin® 25 and Sumithion 50 were more effective and high toxicity against the IC strain compared with the EL strain. Sumithion 50 demonstrated a fast knockdown time on cockroaches, but Cislin® 25 showed no knockdown time. Sumithion 50 showed a significant mortality rate in cockroaches within a short period of time compared to Cislin® 25. Both insecticides were found to be effective against both strains, but Sumithion 50 is more effective at controlling cockroaches than Cislin® 25.

Phylogenetically distinct lineages may be hidden behind identical or highly similar morphologies. The phenomenon of morphological crypticity has been recently detected in symbiotic ciliates of the family Clevelandellidae, as multivariate and Fourier shape analyses failed to distinguish genetically distinct taxa. To address the question of species boundaries, the phylogenetic information contained in the rDNA cistron of clevelandellid ciliates, which had been isolated from the digestive tract of blaberid cockroaches, was studied using a multifaceted statistical approach. Multigene phylogenies revealed that the genus Clevelandella is paraphyletic containing members of the genus Paraclevelandia. To resolve the paraphyly of Clevelandella, two new genera, Anteclevelandella gen. nov. and Rhynchoclevelandella gen. nov., are proposed based on morphological synapomorphies and shared molecular characters. Multigene analyses and Bayesian species delimitation supported the existence of 13 distinct species within the family Clevelandellidae, eight of which represent new taxa. Moreover, two new Nyctotherus species were recognized within the clade that is sister to the Clevelandellidae. According to the present distance and network analyses, the first two domains of the 28S rRNA gene showed much higher power for species discrimination than the 18S rRNA gene and ITS region. Therefore, the former molecular marker was proposed to be a suitable group-specific barcode for the family Clevelandellidae.

A new species of fossil cockroach,Fragosublatta pectinatagen. et sp. nov., is described from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. The new species is assigned to the family Corydiidae based on the following combination of characters: pronotum with tubercles, tegmina obovate with smallish anal region and spinules on the antero-ventral margin of the front femur (type C1). The new species is the second reported cockroach with ramified antennae. This finding broadens the diversity of Blattodea in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber and provides further evidence of convergent evolution for antennal structures among different insect lineages.

This essay will examine two of Ian McEwan’s recent novellas as political rewritings of William Shakespeare and Franz Kafka. McEwan’sNutshell(2016) repositions the avenger figure inHamletas an unborn child whose melancholic awareness of the condition of modern existence allows him a mode of ironic commentary about the possibilities of moral and political choices in a world soon to be destroyed by climate change and nuclear apocalypse.The Cockroach(2019) turns Kafkaesque absurdity into political satire as the protagonist-turned-insect first encountered inThe Metamorphosis(1915) is arrogated a position of absolute power in a fictional dystopia eerily resonant of Britain on the verge of Brexit. I argue that McEwan’s re-scripting of these two works of canonical literature imbues his narratives with political resonance, as the formulations and distortions of the physical body in his two novellas map onto the articulations of political belief. In effect, McEwan posits the Foucaultian notion that the body is determined by symbolic systems of power. However, he succeeds in turning the gaze back onto the political by instantiating the radical dimension of a subject whose coming into being is already a political act and event. In other words, McEwan’s artistic intervention in rewriting the narratives of Hamlet and Gregor Samsa explodes the hermeticism of the family drama in the originals by relocating the theatre of subjectivity within the sphere of the political.

Forests have many insect species that are unique to biodiversity and play a crucial role in the functioning of ecosystems. Forest cockroaches are the best example of forest litter insects, which also help decompose fallen leaves. The composition of the Blattoptera fauna can vary from one region to another, depending on the habitat and numerous biotic and abiotic factors In order to study the diversity, abundance, and distribution of forest cockroaches in different Algeria ecosystems, we have selected four sites from three Wilayas: Senalba (Djelfa), Ain achir (Annaba), Seraidi (Annaba), and Lehnaya (El-taref). These sites are classified into two distinct forest groups (Pinus halepensis and Quercus canariensis). In all areas, the samples were collected each month manually, starting from April 2019 until March 2020. We have collected 1231 individuals of cockroaches and describe eight species from all locations: Loboptera ovolobata (Bohn, 1991), Loboptera decipiens (Germar, 1817), Ectobius kervillei (Bolivar, 1907), Dziriblatta nigriventris (Chopard, 1936), Dziriblatta stenoptera (Chopard, 1937), Phyllodromica zebra (Rhen, 1903), Dziriblatta sp. (Chopard, 1936) and some Ectobius (Stephens, 1835) specimens have not yet been identified. With 51% L. decipiens was the most abundant species, followed by L. ovolobata with 27%. Despite that, the number of larvae was substantially higher than the number of adults in all forests examined. However, the abundance and biodiversity of cockroaches in the Djelfa forest were greater than those of the other woods. This study made it possible to characterize the diversity and dynamics of cockroach species populations in different Algerian ecosystems according to diverse Mediterranean forests.

A variety of insects are fed to insectivorous animals; however, nutritional analyses are often limited to adult life stages. Four species of nymph and adult female and male cockroaches (Blaberus giganteus, Blaptica dubia, Blatta lateralis, and Gromphadorhina portentosa) were analyzed for moisture, crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF), fat, ash, and mineral content. The small sample size of this study precluded statistical analyses, however comparatively, CP in adult B. lateralis and B. dubia was greater than the CP in nymphs of the same species. Adult and nymph B. dubia had the greatest CP (96.6% and 65.3%, respectively) compared to the other three species. Inversely, fat content in adult B. lateralis and B. dubia was lower than that of nymphs of the same species. All adults contained similar levels of ADF, yet adult B. giganteus had greater ADF than nymphs; conversely, B. lateralis and B. dubia adults had less ADF than nymphs. There were differences noted in mineral parameters among the four species and life stages. Adult B. giganteus had less Ca than G. portentosa, and the lowest Ca content of the four species of nymphs and adults analyzed. This study underscores the differences in nutrient content with respect to life stage and species in previously understudied cockroaches to improve nutrient intake in captive insectivores.

Haisheng Hu,1,* Xiangqing Hou,2,* Wenting Luo,1 Yusi Li,2 Huimin Huang,1 Xiaoying Huang,1 Baoqing Sun,1 Xiaohua Douglas Zhang2 1Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health), Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China; 2Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Baoqing SunDepartment of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 20 8306 2865Email sunbaoqing@vip.163.comXiaohua Douglas ZhangFaculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 853 88224813Email douglaszhang@um.edu.moAbstract: This study investigated the molecule sensitized pattern of atopic dermatitis patients who co-sensitized to shrimp, cockroaches, crab and house dust mites allergens and promoted the development of clinical accurate diagnosis and treatment.Keywords: specific immunoglobulin E, sIgE, atopic dermatitis, cross-reaction

The German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.) (Blattodea: Ectobiidae), is a common pest of human-built structures worldwide. German cockroaches are generalist omnivores able to survive on a wide variety of foods. A number of studies have concluded that laboratory-reared B. germanica self-select diets with an approximate 1P:3C (protein-to-carbohydrate) ratio. We predicted that field-collected insects would exhibit more variable dietary preferences, related to the wide-ranging quality, quantity, and patchiness of foods available to them. We compared diet self-selection of B. germanica within apartments and in the laboratory by offering them a choice of two complementary diets with 1P:1C and 1P:11C ratios. We observed high variation in the population-level self-selection of these diets among individual apartment sites as well as among various life stages tested in laboratory-based assays. Significant differences between populations in various apartments as well as between populations maintained in the laboratory suggested that factors beyond temporary food scarcity influence diet choice. Nevertheless, we found significant correlations between the amounts of diets ingested by cockroaches in apartments and cockroaches from the same populations assayed in the laboratory, as well as between males, females, and nymphs from these populations. These findings suggest that females, males, and nymphs within apartments adapt to the local conditions and convergently prefer similar amounts of food of similar dietary protein content.

The use of chemical insecticides is the main control method for Blattella germanica worldwide. The prolonged and frequent use of insecticides produced the selection of insecticide-resistant individuals. The German cockroach is one of the most widespread urban pests in Argentina. In the last decades, resistance monitoring studies in this country demonstrated that there is a high prevalence of pyrethroid-resistant populations of B. germanica in the field. In this work, we studied the resistance mechanisms of a field-collected strain of B. germanica at toxicological, enzymatic, and molecular levels. A resistance ratio of 100 was obtained for the resistant strain when it was exposed to β-cypermethrin. The pretreatment with specific synergists (piperonyl butoxide and triphenyl phosphate) led to a significant increase in the toxicity of the pyrethroid, suggesting an involvement of oxidases and esterases in the detoxification of this insecticide. Moreover, esterase and oxidase activities in the resistant strain were 1.5-fold and 2-fold higher respectively, compared to the susceptible individuals. On the other hand, the voltage-gated sodium channel gene of the resistant cockroaches did not show nucleotidic substitutions in the domain II which are associated to knockdown resistance in this species. These results suggest that the main mechanism of resistance of the studied cockroaches' strain is metabolic, mainly due to an increase in the activity of oxidase and esterase enzymes. The results of this work in addition to other reports found in literature show that the extended use of a single active principle for cockroach control promotes the development of resistance leading to control failure in the field. In contrast, integrated pest management strategies include the use of different control tools in addition to chemical insecticides, which delay the appearance of resistance increasing the efficacy of pest control.

We present an open (publicly available) and updatable database of the karyotypes of Blattodea which is available at http://web.natur.cuni.cz/zoologie/arthropods/blattodeadatabase/index.html. This database currently contains data on chromosome numbers and sex chromosome systems for 355 (209 cockroaches and 146 termites) cytogenetically and/or geographically distinct populations of 229 species (138 cockroaches and 91 termites). When available, data on chromosome morphology and fundamental number are also included. As this summary of the data on Blattodea cytogenetics follows current taxonomy and phylogeny it enabled us to discuss hypotheses on karyotype evolution. We also point out some cytogenetically interesting phenomena such as extensive karyotype differentiation at low taxonomic levels in some lineages and the change from the X0 sex chromosome system, which is present in cockroaches, to systems with multiple neo-sex chromosomes, present in termites. We encourage the use of modern cytogenetic methods in research on Blattodea cytogenetics to uncover more detailed mechanisms of karyotype evolution in this insect order. We also provide a brief summary of the history of cytogenetic research in Blattodea.

Background Cockroach allergen is one of the most important asthma triggers for children. There is an extensive body of research on interventions to reduce exposure. However, adherence to these interventions is low. Insight into the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) associated with cockroach remediation is needed. We assessed KAP using the Health Beliefs Model (HBM) as a framework for predicting behavior. This study aimed to assess the socio-demographic and psycho-social characteristics associated with cockroach KAP and to quantify the relationship between KAP and number of cockroaches in the home. Methods To identify factors associated with cockroach KAP a cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured questionnaire administered to caregivers of children with asthma in New Orleans, Louisiana. Positive scores in each metric of the KAP signified better cockroach knowledge, increased concern about cockroaches’ impact on health (attitudes), and participation in recommended cockroach remediation practices (practices). To evaluate cockroach KAP scores as a predictor of cockroach exposure in the home, a cohort study was conducted among a sub-sample of participants. Results Fifty-six caregivers participated in the study. Participants had positive scores on all subscales of KAP with knowledge having a lower score compared to attitudes and practices. Cockroach knowledge was inversely correlated with age at asthma diagnosis (ρ = − 0.36, p = 0.01). Caregivers identifying as black/African American had higher cockroach knowledge scores compared to other races (Median: 6.0 v 3.0; p = 0.05). Caregivers other than mothers had higher cockroach attitude scores (Median 6.5 v 4.0; p = 0.003) and total KAP scores (Median 18.0 v 14.0; p = 0.05). Twenty-six participants completed the cohort study. Cockroach exposure was not significantly associated with higher cockroach knowledge, cockroach practice, or total KAP score. For attitude scores, participants in the highest quartile had significantly lower exposure (β: -1.96, 95% CI: − 3.50 - 0.42) compared to those in the lowest quartile (p = 0.01). Conclusions Different socio-demographic and psycho-social factors were associated with the components of cockroach KAP. Greater concern about cockroaches (attitude) was significantly associated with reduced cockroach exposure. This highlights the importance of identifying the key elements of caregiver KAP to improve cockroach remediation among caregivers of children with asthma.

Against the backdrop of sudden shifts in global political and historical climate, our century has witnessed a convergence of turns in humanities, including the nonhuman turn and the historical turn. Ian McEwan’s latest novella,The Cockroach, is a just work along this line. Through the use of unnatural narratives within realistic context, McEwan presents readers with a world that is both strange and recognisable. By examining the unnatural narrative strategies, including the deployment of nonhuman character and omniscient narrator, McEwan expresses concerns for the future of humanity and fear for social and cultural parochialism, populism and anti-cosmopolitanism.

Airborne insect particles have been identified as an important cause of respiratory allergies, including allergic asthma and rhinitis. In the literature, the significance of respiratory exposure to insect particles as a cause of occupational allergy has been well-documented. Indeed, many cases of occupational allergy have been reported including allergy to the larvae of flies and moths in anglers and occupationally exposed workers, to grain pests in bakers or other workers handling grains, and to crickets and/or locusts in researchers and workers in aquaculture companies. Furthermore, the prevalence of sensitization to insect allergens is considerably high among patients with asthma and/or rhinitis who are not occupationally exposed to insects, suggesting the clinical relevance of exposure to insects in indoor and outdoor environmental non-occupational settings. Exposure to cockroaches, a well-studied indoor insect, is associated with cockroach sensitization and the development and exacerbation of asthma. Booklice, another common indoor insect, were recently identified as a significant sensitizer of asthmatic patients in Japan and India, and potentially of asthma patients living in warm and humid climates around the world. Lip b 1 was identified as an allergenic protein contributing to the species-specific sensitization to booklice. Moths are considered a significant seasonal outdoor allergen and their allergens are considered to have the highest sensitization rate among Japanese patients. However, other than cockroaches, allergenic insect proteins contributing to sensitization have not been fully characterized to date.

The purpose of the research is studying the efficacy of "Tarzan, VE" against representatives of the Blattoptera order, Blattella germanica.Materials and methods. Experimental studies to study the efficacy of "Tarzan, VE" on representatives of the Blattoptera order were performed for two weeks at the premises of the Skryabin MVA (Moscow) and the KemSMU (Kemerovo). The study object was the red German cockroach B. germanica, a laboratory culture of which was grown in the MVA insectarium. Experiments 1 and 2 consisted of three tests of three sets each: a test to study the efficacy of the drug against cockroaches by the topical application; and a test to study the efficacy of "Tarzan, VE" against cockroaches by the forced exposure of arthropods to test surfaces, namely, plywood or glass previously treated with the drug in different concentrations. Dead insects were counted after a day.Results and discussion. We established the efficacy of "Tarzan, VE" in the form of an active substance in different dilutions against cockroaches B. germanica of both sexes using the topical application. Its efficiency decreases to 97% when diluted 1000 times (0.001N). With forced exposure to treated test surface (plywood), the efficacy of “Tarzan, VE” depended on the substance diluted: 90% at 0.01N, 83.3% at 0.005N, and 50% at 0.001N. The maximum effect of "Tarzan, VE" was observed when using the method of forced exposure of cockroaches to the treated test surface, glass. The efficacy of the drug in this case was 100% regardless of the sex and development stage of cockroaches. It was found that different concentrations of the insecticide had a toxic effect on the imago of both sexes and larval stages of cockroach development. The insecticidal nature of the drug is ensured by the use of zeta-cypermethrin as an active ingredient. "Tarzan, VE" insecticide can be recommended to control and prevent the distribution of B. germanica.

Berdasarkan Permenkes RI No. 50 tahun 2017, pelabuhan harus bebas dari kecoa dengan standar baku mutu indeks populasi kecoa kurang dari 2. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menggambarkan kepadatan kecoa di wilayah pelabuhan dan menganalisis sanitasi dan faktor lingkungan fisik terkait dengan kepadatan kecoa. Jenis penelitian kuantitatif melalui rancangan penelitian observasional analitik dengan desain cross sectional. Lokasi penelitian di wilayah perimeter dan buffer Pelabuhan Tanjung Emas Kota Semarang. Penangkapan kecoa dilakukan pada 51 warung makan dengan pengamatan sanitasi dan lingkungan fisik. Penangkapan kecoa menggunakan sticky trap yang ditempatkan pada satu titik di setiap warung makan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan indeks populasi kecoa di wilayah perimeter yaitu 9,74 dan 5,4 di wilayah buffer. Berdasarkan uji Chi Square didapatkan hubungan korelasi sanitasi warung makan dan kepadatan kecoa (p kurang dari 0,0001; OR=3,75). Ada hubungan suhu (p kurang dari 0,0001; r=0,-59) dan kelembaban (p kurang dari 0,0001; r=0,52) dengan kepadatan kecoa, berdasarkan uji spearman. Kepadatan kecoa pada warung makan di wilayah pelabuhan baik di area perimeter dan buffer berhubungan dengan sanitasi dan lingkungan fisik. Disarankan pemilik warung makan untuk selalu menjaga sanitasi dan melakukan tindakan pengendalian kecoa. ABSTRACT: Based on Permenkes RI No. 50 of 2017, the port must be free from cockroaches with a standard quality index of cockroach population less than 2. This study aims to describe the density of cockroaches in the port area and analyze sanitation and physical environmental factors related to cockroach density. Type quantitative research through analytical observational research design with cross-sectional design. The location of the research in the perimeter and buffer area of Tanjung Emas Port, Semarang City. Catching cockroaches was carried out at 51 food stalls with observations of sanitation and the physical environment. Catching English translation. cockroaches using a sticky trap placed at one point in each food stalls. The results showed an index of cockroach populations in the perimeter area of 9.74 and 5.4 in the buffer area. Based on the Chi-Square test, there was a correlation between sanitation of food stalls and density of cockroaches (p less than 0.0001; OR=3.75). There is a relationship between temperature (p less than 0.0001; r=0.-59) and humidity (p less than 0.0001; r=0.52) with cockroach density, based on spearman tests. The density of cockroaches in food stalls in the port area both in the perimeter and buffer areas is related to sanitation and the physical environment. It is recommended that the owner of the food stall always maintain sanitation and carry out cockroach control measures .

The exoskeleton of a cockroach plays a major role in protecting it from pathogenic microbes. It is well known that the main component of the exoskeleton is the chitin which is considered the source of chitosan. This study aimed at investigating the anticancer activity of chitosan prepared from the American cockroach. Chitosan was prepared and characterized with solubility in 1% acetic acid and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis. The cytotoxicity of chitosan was investigated against Hepatoblastoma (HepG2) and Breast cancer (MCF7) cell lines by the MTT assay. The cytotoxicity has a positive relationship with the chitosan concentration. The half-maximal growth inhibitory concentrations (IC50) were 329 and 195 µg/ml with HepG2 and MCF7, respectively. Therefore, Chitosan may be a potential natural compound for the treatment of human hepatoblastoma (HepG2) and breast cancer (MCF7).

Soil-burrowing cockroaches (Blaberidae: Geoscapheinae) are large insects endemic to Australia. Originally thought to represent a monophyletic group, these enigmatic species have in fact evolved burrowing behaviour, associated fossorial morphological modifications, and dietary transitions to dry leaf litter feeding multiple times from the wood-feeding Panesthiinae in a striking example of parallel evolution. However, various relationships within these two subfamilies remain unresolved or poorly understood, notably the apparent paraphyly of Panesthiinae with respect to Geoscapheinae, the position and diversification of certain species within major clades, and several aspects of the overall group's biogeography and morphological evolution. Here, we investigate the phylogeny of Australian members of these two subfamilies using whole mitochondrial genomes paired with nuclear ribosomal markers and highly conserved genes from the bacterial endosymbiont Blattabacterium. Using the resulting robust, fossil-calibrated phylogeny from these three sources we confirm the nonmonophyly of both subfamilies and recover Geoscapheinae as polyphyletic within a paraphyletic Panesthiinae. The nonmonophyly of natural groups, at all levels from subfamily to species, has been driven by repeated, independent acquisitions of burrowing forms in Geoscapheinae from panesthiine ancestors that colonized the continent on two separate occasions during the Miocene. We additionally find morphological variation within Geoscapheinae itself is correlated with species distributions. Older soil-burrowing clades living in comparatively arid environments have additional morphological reductions beyond obvious fossorial adaptations compared to those in younger burrowing clades from more temperate habitats. Ultimately, the results presented here demonstrate connections among phylogeny, biogeography and morphology throughout Australian representatives of these two subfamilies, factors that could not be previously consolidated using existing phylogenetic frameworks. Given the discordance between molecular data implemented here and the existing taxonomic classification, we find no support for retaining Geoscapheinae as a discrete taxonomic grouping. In closing, we discuss the taxonomic implications of these results and present a roadmap for future research on Geoscapheinae and their panesthiine relatives.

Nearly 450 Margattea specimens were collected from 27 locations in China and their morphology was examined. Then 68 Margattea COI sequences were obtained and used to carry out phylogenetic analyses as well as species delimitation analyses using General Mixed Yule Coalescent (GMYC), Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD), and Poisson Tree Processes (bPTP). GMYC analysis resulted in 21 molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) (confidence interval: 20–22), which was completely consistent with the result of the bPTP. There were 15 MOTUs using the ABGD method. The number of MOTUs was slightly different from the assigned morphospecies (16). As to the incongruence between molecular and morphological results, we checked the specimens again and made sure that most morphological differences were determined to be intraspecific differences (except the difference between M. angusta and M. mckittrickae), although a large genetic distance existed. Finally, 16 Margattea species from China were defined in this study, of which, seven new species are established, i.e. Margattea deltodonta J-J He & Z-Q Wang, sp. nov., Margattea cuspidata J-J He & Z-Q Wang, sp. nov., Margattea caudata J-J He & Z-Q Wang, sp. nov., Margattea paratransversa J-J He & Z-Q Wang, sp. nov., Margattea disparilis J-J He & Z-Q Wang, sp. nov., Margattea transversa J-J He & Z-Q Wang, sp. nov., and Margattea bicruris J-J He & Z-Q Wang, sp. nov.

A fossil cockroach, Periplaneta (?) perialla sp. nov., is described based on a larva from Rovno amber. This species is provisionally assigned to the genus Periplaneta. This is the first representative of the subfamily Blattinae, provisionally assigned to the modern genus Periplaneta, from the Eocene of Ukraine, and the first find of an amber insect from the Manevychi locality, Volyn Region. A detailed morphological description of the new species and comparison with modern cockroaches are given. It is shown that the fossil larva has a specifically modified abdominal apex characteristic of immature and wingless extant Blattidae.

We described a new species of cockroach, Periplaneta gajajimana sp. nov., which was collected in Gajajima, Kagoshima-gun Toshimamura, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, on November 2012. The new species is characterized by its reddish brown to blackish brown body, smooth surface pronotum, well developed compound eyes, dark brown head apex, dark reddish brown front face and small white ocelli connected to the antennal sockets. In male, the tegmen tip reach the abdomen end or are slightly shorter, while in the female, it does not reach the abdominal end and exposes the abdomen beyond the 7th abdominal plate. We confirmed the validity of this new species by breeding the specimens in our laboratory to demonstrate that the features of the progeny were maintained for several generations. For comparison and easy identification of this new species, the key to species identification of the genus Periplaneta that had been reported in Japan to date are also presented.

A new blattid genus, Bundoksia gen. nov. is described based on the Philippine species, Cartoblatta rufocercata (Shelford, 1910). Bundoksia rufocercata comb. nov. is proposed and redescribed, and a ...

Background and Objective: The ethanol extract of noni leaves (Morinda citrifolia L.) can be used as insecticides to control populations of German cockroaches that have been resistant to synthetic insecticides. This study aimed to determine the potency of the ethanol extract of noni leaves to kill and repel German cockroaches and affect the amount of food consumed. Materials and Methods: The methods used in this study were the contact toxicity test, the repellency test and the food consumption test. The noni leaves extract and German cockroach populations were provided in the laboratory. Results: The noni leaves extract concentration of 20% (residue of 3.14 mg cm2 1) was very effective in killing the standard population and effective in killing the field population of German cockroaches. The sub-lethal concentration noni leaves extract of 0.36% (residue 0.056 mg cm2 1) and 1.08% (residue 0.169 mg cm2 1) was very high grade as repellent of German cockroaches. The sub-lethal concentration of noni leaves extract did not inhibit the amount of food consumption in German cockroach populations. Conclusion: Leaves of noni plants can be used as bioinsecticides to control German cockroach populations that have been resistant to commercial insecticides.

Introduction GSTs are multifunctional enzymes involved in cellular detoxification and present as potent allergens in several sources. Present study investigates allergenic relevance of GST from P. americana and determine its cross reactive potential with other indoor allergen sources. Methods Computational analysis with FASTA and ConSurf webserver was performed to determine potentially cross reactive allergens. Further, Per a 5 gene was cloned in pET 22b+ vector and expressed in E.coli BL21 cells and the rPer a 5 protein was purified using Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. Enzymatic activity of rPer a 5 was assessed using CDNB and cumene hydroperoxide. ELISA and immunoblot were performed using cockroach hypersensitive patient’s sera. Functional activity of rPer a 5 was evaluated by basophil activation test. Inhibition studies were carried out with D. pteronyssinus, A. alternata and C. lunata extracts. Results Per a 5 demonstrates highest sequence similarity with delta class GST of Blattella germanica (94.9%). It also exhibits significant sequence similarity (50–58%) with mite, fungal and helminth allergenic GSTs. ConSurf analysis reveals high degree of evolutionary similarity in N terminal region of Per a 5, especially at GST dimerization interface. The purified rPer a 5 protein resolved at 27 kDa on SDS-PAGE. The rPer a 5 protein exhibits GST activity and possess upto 65% immunoreactivity with cockroach hypersensitive patient’s sera in ELISA and immunoblot. It upregulates expression of CD203c on basophils signifying its biological ability to activate effector cells. rPer a 5 significantly inhibits corresponding GSTs in P. americana, D. pteronyssinus, A. alternata and C. lunata with EC50 values of 15.5 ng. 38.38 ng, 41.4 ng and 61.66 ng, respectively. Conclusion Recombinant delta class GST of P. americana is a clinically relevant allergen showing upto 65% immunoreactivity with hypersensitive patient’s sera. Per a 5 GST allergen showed phylogenetic similarity with dust mite, fungal and birch allergens thereby demonstrating allergen cross reactivity.

Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup formulations. Glyphosate-based herbicides are used globally in agriculture, forestry, horticulture, and in urban settings. Glyphosate can persist for years in our soil, potentially impacting the soil-dwelling arthropods that are primary drivers of a suite of ecosystem services. Furthermore, although glyphosate is not generally classified as neurotoxic to insects, evidence suggests that it may cause nerve damage in other organisms. In a series of experiments, we used food to deliver environmentally realistic amounts of Roundup ready-to-use III, a common 2% glyphosate-based herbicide formulation that lists isopropylamine salt as its active ingredient, to Madagascar hissing cockroaches. We then assessed the impact of contamination on body mass, nerve health, and behavior. Contaminated food contained both 30.6 mg glyphosate and so-called inert ingredients. Food was refreshed weekly for 26–60 days, depending on the experiment. We found that consumption of contaminated food did not impact adult and juvenile survivorship or body weight. However, consumption of contaminated food decreased ventral nerve cord action-potential velocity by 32%, caused a 29% increase in respiration rate, and caused a 74.4% decrease in time spent on a motorized exercise wheel. Such changes in behavior may make cockroaches less capable of fulfilling their ecological service, such as pollinating or decomposing litter. Furthermore, their lack of coordination may make them more susceptible to predation, putting their population at risk. Given the decline of terrestrial insect abundance, understanding common risks to terrestrial insect populations has never been more critical. Results from our experiments add to the growing body of literature suggesting that this popular herbicide can act as a neurotoxin.

The emerald jewel wasp Ampulex compressa attacks the cockroach Periplaneta americana which serves as the host of the parasite and injects venom directly into the cockroach’s central nervous system. The cockroach responds by excessive grooming and cleaning its entire body with its legs and mandibles. The antimicrobial hypothesis suggests that self-grooming is adaptive for the parasite because it decreases ectoparasite and fungal infection rates from the cockroach’s cuticle in order to prevent infection of the wasp’s larvae. We demonstrated under laboratory conditions that microbial prevalence was not higher in stung cockroaches experimentally prevented from self-grooming than in self-groomed ones.

Byrsotria fumigata (Guérin-Méneville, 1857) is an endemic cockroach from Cuba which presents a remarkable variability in the male wings. This contribution addresses the differences in size and wing shape of males, previously reported on the literature. Brachypterous individuals are illustrated and the wing variation is quantified. The distribution of the species is expanded with two new localities.

Understanding the process of resistance development of German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.), in detail is necessary to potentially delay the development of insecticides resistance by rotation or discontinuation of insecticides at the right time. In this study, we investigated the resistance development of the reared German cockroach to chlorpyrifos (CPF) for 23 generations from susceptible cockroaches. CPF 50% lethal dose (LD50) and resistance ratio of each generation cockroaches were determined. The CPF LD50 to each generation cockroaches was used as the insecticide selection pressure of this generation by topical application. The resistance development curve was depicted according to the CPF LD50 to all 23 generations of cockroaches. As a result, a highly resistant German cockroach cohort to CPF, which the resistance ratio was 21.63, was obtained after 23 generations’ selection. During the selection, the cockroaches developed low resistance from F1 to F5, moderate resistance from F6 to F12, and high resistance from F13 to F23. There was a rapid resistance increase every 5–7 generations. The resistance growing showed relatively slow from F1 to F11. The fastest growing phase of the resistance was from F12 to F20, in which accounted for more than 80% of the total resistance increase in 23 generations. The development of resistance to CPF tended to slow down from F21 to F23. These findings may provide a basis for the rational use of insecticides, delaying the development of resistance by rotation or discontinuation.

This article also appears in: Evolution 2021, Evolution 2021 Virtual Issue., The acquisition of wings has facilitated the massive evolutionary success of pterygotes (winged insects), which now make up nearly three-quarters of described metazoans. However, our understanding of how this crucial structure has evolved remains quite elusive. Historically, two ideas have dominated in the wing origin debate, one placing the origin in the dorsal body wall (tergum) and the other in the lateral pleural plates and the branching structures associated with these plates. Through studying wing-related tissues in the wingless segments (such as wing serial homologs) of the beetle, Tribolium castaneum, we obtained several crucial pieces of evidence that support a third idea, the dual origin hypothesis, which proposes that wings evolved from a combination of tergal and pleural tissues. Here, we extended our analysis outside of the beetle lineage and sought to identify wing-related tissues from the wingless segments of the cockroach, Blattella germanica. Through detailed functional and expression analyses for a critical wing gene, vestigial (vg), along with re-evaluating the homeotic transformation of a wingless segment induced by an improved RNA interference protocol, we demonstrate that B. germanica possesses two distinct tissues in their wingless segments, one with tergal and one with pleural nature, that might be evolutionarily related to wings. This outcome appears to parallel the reports from other insects, which may further support a dual origin of insect wings. However, we also identified a vg-independent tissue that contributes to wing formation upon homeotic transformation, as well as vg-dependent tissues that do not appear to participate in wing formation, in B. germanica, indicating a more complex evolutionary history of the tissues that contributed to the emergence of insect wings., This study is supported by the Miami University Faculty Research Grants Program (CFR; to Yoshinori Tomoyasu), the National Science Foundation (NSF; IOS1557936 to Yoshinori Tomoyasu), an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (to Courtney Clark-Hachtel), the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (including support for the visit of Ana Fernandez-Nicolas to the Tomoyasu lab; CGL2012-36251, CGL2015-64727-P, and PID2019-104483GB-I00 to Xavier Belles), the Catalan Government (2014 SGR 619, 2017 SGR 10c0 to Xavier Belles), and European Fund for Economic and Regional Development (FEDER funds to Xavier Belles).

Digital, Most triatomine bugs (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae) are hematophagous, though Belminus species can live off of cockroach hemolymph to complete their life cycle. In this work, we described the fixed action pattern (FAP) employed by B. ferroae to identify, approach, and suck on a living cockroach. The FAP described here is composed of the following stereotyped behaviors: (1) visual and/or olfactory detection of the cockroach, (2) reaching, (3) cautious approach, (4) antennal exploration, (5) extension of the proboscis, (6) piercing to sedate, (7) walking away and waiting (postsedation behavior), (8) second cautious approach, (9) extension of the proboscis, (10) piercing to suck hemolymph. The FAP sequence observed suggests that Belminus bugs are not predators like the rest of reduviids (assassin bugs)—but are kleptophagous ectoparasites, since they do not attack and kill a prey but rather steal hemolymph from its invertebrate host. Based on these ethological observations, we propose kleptophagy as a trait that naturally groups the Belminus species into the Triatominae subfamily. In order to identify chemicals cues that could elicit such FAP, we examined the behavior of B. corredori, B. ferroae, and B. herreri in response to the cockroaches’ odor, fresh cockroach feces and fresh rodent wastes. The last two sources were tested based on the assumption that abundant chemicals near host refuges could serve as cues for host orientation. We found that the cockroach odor emanating from a box significantly attracted B. corredori and B. herreri in a still air olfactometer. The three Belminus species approached the captive cockroach after 1 h, but avoided to climb the box. Odors emanating from the cockroach feces attracted B. corredori and B. ferroae in a Y-olfactometer. Triatomines and their hosts have intimately shared the same refuge for millions of years; certain molecules occur across invertebrate and vertebrate refuges and are recurrent in human abodes, thus plausibly explaining how these bugs can readily switch to the domestic habitat, while keeping with their kleptophagous nature., Ciencias Básicas, Ciencias Naturales

Antecedentes: en la consulta de Alergología se realiza un tamizaje rutinario con diversos alergenos, entre ellos: mohos, alimentos, cucarachas y ácaros, que logra diagnosticar a gran parte de los pacientes atendidos. Sin embargo, hay individuos con síntomas de alergia que resultan negativos en las pruebas por punción con los alergenos disponibles en el mercado. Las trampas de luz UV que se colocan en el Valle Inter-montano Central de Costa Rica para mosquitos muestran una gran cantidad de captura de lepidópteros nocturnos, lo que motivó a pensar en la importancia de la alergenicidad de este género de nivel de la región tropical húmeda.Objetivos: determinar el porcentaje de pacientes sensibilizados a los lepidópteros nocturnos y dar a conocer la importancia de estos insectos como alergenos ambientales.Material y método: análisis retrospectivo de los expedientes de la Sección de Alergología de la Clínica Médica Herediana, Heredia, Costa Rica, de febrero de 2011 a febrero de 2012 para determinar el porcentaje de pacientes alérgicos a los lepidópteros nocturnos, a los ácaros de polvo doméstico (Blomia tropicalis, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae y Tyrophagus putrescentiae) y a insectos (Periplaneta americana y Musca domestica). A su vez, se analizaron los aspectos demográficos y los síntomas de los pacientes. Resultados: se incluyeron 347 pacientes (217 mujeres y 130 hombres, 36.32 ± 18.10 años). El 63% de los pacientes eran alérgicos a los ácaros del polvo doméstico, 39% a los lepidópteros nocturnos, 28% a Periplaneta americana y 24% a Musca domestica. El 2% de los pacientes alérgicos a sólo un alergeno estaba monosensibilizado contra los alergenos de los lepidópteros nocturnos.Conclusión: se recomiendan las pruebas continuas de alergia a lepidópteros nocturnos, porque son los insectos a los que la mayoría de los pacientes estudiados tuvo alergia.

How do we learn from past decisions not taken and imagined futures while not holding on to the choices not taken and causing ourselves despair? In this work of philosophical short fiction, an Uncle Cockroach takes his nephew to the highest point in the land, the top of the refrigerator. From there, they overlook the larger, and beautiful home, and see the humans living in the home. The Uncle tells his nephew the humans can speak, like they do, but that they are unhappy because they have a hidden 3rd eye inside their head that allows them to see the future and the past that may happen. This causes them to dislike the present because they are always comparing it to what their 3rd eyes sees. Suddenly, an angel moth comes down and, on behalf of The Great Arachnid, is told me must forever render cockroaches speechless.

Symbionts of ant colonies can hitchhike on winged ant reproductives (alates) during colony nuptial flights. Attaphila fungicola Wheeler, a miniature cockroach that lives in the nests of Tex...