INTRASPECIFIC AND INTERSPECIFIC TRAPPINGS OF 2 SYMPATRIC PERIDOMESTICCOCKROACHES (DICTYOPTERA, BLATTIDAE)

Intra- and interspecific trappings of American, Periplaneta americana (L.), and smokybrown, P.fuliginosa (Serville), cockroaches were examin ed in laboratory experiments. More P. americana were caught in live tr aps than P. fuliginosa. Overall, more individuals were caught with a c onspecific bait than with a heterospecific bait. Significantly more ad ult male, female, and total P. americana were caught in traps baited w ith a conspecific than with unbaited traps. Heterospecific nymphs were repellent to male and female P. americana. More P. americana were cau ght with conspecific females and nymphs as bait than with heterospecif ic nymphs. For P. fuliginosa, only more males were caught with a trap with a conspecific compared with an unbaited trap. Traps with nymphal P. fuliginosa caught more conspecifics than did unbaited traps or trap s with heterospecific nymphs. Nymphal P. fuliginosa were repelled by n ymphal P. americana. P. americana were captured more frequently and we re more selective in interspecific associations than P. fuliginosa. Th ese results partly account for differences in sampling these species i n areas of sympatry and suggest that volatile semiochemicals are produ ced and detected by most stages of these cockroaches.