scholarly journals Getting the Most Out of Your Zombie: Abdominal Sensors and Neural Manipulations Help Jewel Wasps Find the Roach’s Weak Spot

2020 ◽  
Vol 95 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 181-202
Author(s):  
Kenneth C. Catania
Keyword(s):  
Periplaneta Americana ◽  
Larval Survival ◽  
Egg Laying ◽  
Thoracic Ganglion ◽  
American Cockroach ◽  
Oviposition Site ◽  
Female Wasp ◽  
Fixed Action Pattern ◽  
Ampulex Compressa

The parasitoid emerald jewel wasp (<i>Ampulex compressa</i>) subdues the American cockroach (<i>Periplaneta americana</i>) with a sting to the 1st thoracic ganglion, followed by a sting to the roach’s brain, causing long-term pacification. The wasp then leads the cockroach to a hole where it lays an egg on the roach middle leg before barricading the entrance and departing. Although many aspects of the wasp’s initial attack have been investigated, few studies have detailed the egg-laying process and the subsequent fate of the larvae. Here I show that larval survival depends on precise egg positioning on the cockroach by the female wasp. Ablation of sensory hairs on the wasp’s abdomen resulted in mislaid eggs, which seldom survived. In addition, the cockroach femur may block the oviposition site. The wasp contended with this challenge with a newly discovered suite of stings, 3 directed into the 2nd thoracic ganglion which resulted in extension of the femur, thus exposing the oviposition site and removing a potential barrier to the wasp’s successful reproduction. When the femur was glued in place, the wasp stung the cockroach over 100 times, in an apparent fixed action pattern triggered by the obscured oviposition target. These findings highlight the importance of proper egg placement by the wasp, and reveal sensors and new neural manipulations that facilitate the process.

Organization of the Giant Axons of the Cockroach Periplaneta Americana

1969 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 615-627
Author(s):  
M. E. SPIRA ◽  
I. PARNAS ◽  
F. BERGMANN
Keyword(s):  
Nerve Cord ◽  
Periplaneta Americana ◽  
Thoracic Ganglion ◽  
American Cockroach ◽  
Abdominal Ganglion ◽  
Common Pathway ◽  
Average Delay ◽  
Giant Axons ◽  
Stimulation Of

1. Stimulation of the connectives between the suboesophageal and prothoracic ganglia of the American cockroach induced ipsilateral descending spikes in the abdominal giant axons with an average delay of 0·6 msec, per thoracic ganglion. 2. Nicotine at 5 µg./ml. had no effect on conduction in the abdomen but blocked ascending responses sequentially at the 6th abdominal ganglion then at the levels of T1; T2, and T3. 3. Simultaneous descending and ascending impulses resulted in mutual extinction along the nerve cord with the point of collision depending on the interval between stimuli. 4. It is suggested that a common pathway subserves ascending and descending giant impulses and models for bi-directional conduction are discussed.

scholarly journals How Not to Be Turned into a Zombie

2018 ◽  
Vol 92 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 32-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth C. Catania
Keyword(s):  
Periplaneta Americana ◽  
American Cockroach ◽  
Ampulex Compressa ◽  
The Brain

The emerald jewel wasp (Ampulex compressa) is renowned for its ability to zombify the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) with a sting to the brain. When the venom takes effect, the cockroach becomes passive and can be led by its antenna into a hole, where the wasp deposits an egg and then seals the exit with debris. The cockroach has the ability to walk, run, or fly if properly stimulated, but it does not try to escape as it is slowly eaten alive by the developing wasp larva. Although the composition and effects of the wasp’s venom have been investigated, no studies have detailed how cockroaches might prevent this grim fate. Here it is shown that many cockroaches deter wasps with a vigorous defense. Successful cockroaches elevated their bodies, bringing their neck out of reach, and kicked at the wasp with their spiny hind legs, often striking the wasp’s head multiple times. Failing this, the elevated, “on-guard” position allowed cockroaches to detect and evade the wasp’s lunging attack. If grasped, the cockroaches parried the stinger with their legs, used a “stiff-arm” defense to hold back the stinger, and could stab at, and dislodge, the wasp with tibial spines. Lastly, cockroaches bit at the abdomen of wasps delivering the brain sting. An aggressive defense from the outset was most successful. Thus, for a cockroach not to become a zombie, the best strategy is: be vigilant, protect your throat, and strike repeatedly at the head of the attacker.

scholarly journals Orthoptera and allies in the Maritime provinces, Canada: new records and updated provincial checklists

2019 ◽  
Vol 132 (4) ◽  
pp. 319-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Klymko ◽  
Paul Catling ◽  
Jeffrey B. Ogden ◽  
Robert W. Harding ◽  
Donald F. McAlpine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prince Edward Island ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Periplaneta Americana ◽  
New Records ◽  
American Cockroach ◽  
Maritime Provinces ◽  
Praying Mantis ◽  
Mole Cricket ◽  
Oecanthus Nigricornis ◽  
Periplaneta Australasiae

We provide an updated checklist of Orthoptera and their allies for each Maritime province of Canada with details for 21 new species records. Drumming Katydid (Meconema thalassinum), recorded from Nova Scotia (NS) and Prince Edward Island (PEI), and Sprinkled Grasshopper (Chloealtis conspersa), recorded from New Brunswick (NB) are reported for the first time from the Maritimes as a whole. We report range extensions in the Maritime region for Australian Cockroach (Periplaneta australasiae; NB), Treetop Bush Katydid (Scudderia fasciata; NS), Short-legged Camel Cricket (Ceuthophilus brevipes; PEI), Spotted Camel Cricket (Ceuthophilus maculatus; PEI), Roesel’s Shield-backed Katydid (Roeseliana roesellii; NS), and Black-horned Tree Cricket (Oecanthus nigricornis; PEI). Short-winged Mole Cricket (Neoscapteriscus abbreviatus; NB) and European Mole Cricket (Gryllotalpa gryllotalpa; NS) are reported as adventives (non-native species that are believed to be not yet established), new to Canada from the Maritimes. Other new records for species not known to be established are Lined Earwig (Doru taeniatum; NS), Australian Cockroach (Periplaneta australasiae; PEI), American Cockroach (Periplaneta americana; NB), Brown Cockroach (Periplaneta brunnea; PEI), Smooth Cockroach (Nyctibora laevigata; NB), West Indian Leaf Cockroach (Blaberus discoidalis; NB), an unidentified Parcoblatta species (NB), Brown-banded Cockroach (Supella longipalpa; PEI), Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa; NB), and American Bird Grasshopper (Schistocerca americana; NS).

scholarly journals Cholesterol turnover in the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana (L.)

1964 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 418-421
Author(s):  
Hugh E. Vroman ◽  
J.N. Kaplanis ◽  
W.E. Robbins
Keyword(s):  
Periplaneta Americana ◽  
American Cockroach

scholarly journals Preparation of Antioxidant and Antibacterial Chitosan Film from Periplaneta americana

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 53
Author(s):  
Sicong Chen ◽  
Xunfan Wei ◽  
Zhuoxiao Sui ◽  
Mengyuan Guo ◽  
Jin Geng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Packaging ◽  
Periplaneta Americana ◽  
Uv Light ◽  
Radical Scavenging ◽  
Chitosan Film ◽  
American Cockroach ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Potential Resource ◽  
Radical Scavenging Ability ◽  
Dpph Radical Scavenging

Among different insects, the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) has been bred in industrial scale successfully as a potential resource of protein, lipid, and antibacterial peptide. However, the application of its chitosan has not been studied widely, which has hindered the sufficient utilization of P. americana. In this paper, the chitosan from P. americana was separated, characterized, and processed into film (PaCSF) to examine its potential of being applied in food packaging. As the results of different characterizations showed, PaCSF was similar to shrimp chitosan film (SCSF). However, concerning the performances relating to food packaging, the two chitosan films were different. PaCSF contained more water (42.82%) than SCSF did, resulting in its larger thickness (0.08 mm). PaCSF could resist UV light more effectively than SCSF did. Concerning antioxidant activity, the DPPH radical scavenging ability of PaCSF increased linearly with time passing, reaching 72.46% after 8 h, which was better than that of SCSF. The antibacterial activity assay exhibited that PaCSF resisted the growth of Serratia marcescens and Escherichia coli more effectively than SCSF did. The results implied that P. americana chitosan could be a potential raw material for food packaging, providing a new way to develop P. americana.

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