COMPARISON OF DEVELOPMENTAL RATES OF 2 SEPARATE POPULATIONS OF PERIPLANETA-FULIGINOSA (DICHTYOPTERA, BLATTIDAE) AND EQUATIONS DESCRIBING DEVELOPMENT, PREOVIPOSITION, AND OVIPOSITION

Periplaneta fuliginosa (Serville) were collected from Clemson, SC, in the Piedmont region, and Charleston, SC, in the coastal region. Maxima l developmental rates of eggs and number of nymphs emerging from oothe cae hatching at five temperature increments (15, 20, 25, 30, and 35-de grees-C) were recorded in the laboratory for each population. Developm ental rates were also recorded for the first male and female to mature from 1-d-old nymphs hatched from the same ootheca. For first females, preoviposition (time to first ootheca) and oviposition rates, egg dev elopmental rate, and number of nymphs emerged were recorded. Between 2 0 and 30-degrees-C, coastal nymphs developed 5% faster than Piedmont n ymphs. At 15-degrees-C, only eight cockroaches reached adulthood after 56 mo. Oviposition and preoviposition rates of the coastal population were about 25% faster. Biologically these differences appear insignif icant because they are less than variation in literature values. From data pooled from this experiment and the literature, coefficients of t he Sharpe-DeMichele developmental rate model were calculated for egg a nd nymphal development, preoviposition, and oviposition. The regressio ns had high r2 values and provide a quantitative basis for understandi ng population processes in this insect.