BENT AND APPRESSED SPURS FOUND OIL LEGS OF THE BLACK-BODY MUTANT OF THE GERMAN-COCKROACH (DICTYOPTERA, BLATTELLIDAE)

Spur patterns of black body mutants, Bl homozygotes and Bl hybrids in backcrosses, were observed on the tibia and femur of penultimate insta rs. The patterns were similar to those of mild type and of a bent-spur mutant (bs). Thus, every spur was named by the same row-and-level met hod used in wild type. The number of spurs was larger on the tibia tha n on the femur. However, the number was more variable on the femur tha n on the tibia. The average number of spurs did not differ between Bl/ Bl and Bl/+ both on the tibia and on the femur. Many spurs were bent o r appressed in Bl/Bl, but only a few were bent or appressed in Bl/+. T he average number of bent spurs on Bl/Bl legs was several times as man y as that in Bl/+. The number of appressed spurs on Bl/Bl legs was als o several times greater compared with that on Bl/+. The bent-spur trai t in Bl is an allele of bs and is closely linked with Bl. The appresse d spur trait in Bl is either a pleiotropic effect of Bl or perhaps clo sely linked with Bl.