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Effect of carbon dioxide on the Oriental cockroach Blatta orientalis
Author(s) -
Gan B.,
Le Patourel G.,
Young R.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
medical and veterinary entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.028
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1365-2915
pISSN - 0269-283X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2915.2001.00277.x
Subject(s) - cockroach , biology , blattidae , dictyoptera , nymph , zoology , carbon dioxide , fecundity , toxicology , botany , population , ecology , medicine , environmental health
Summary Exposure to high concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) killed adult and nymphal stages of the oriental cockroach Blatta orientalis L. (Dictyoptera: Blattidae) with LT 50 values of 11.5–16.2 h for 60% CO 2 in air and 5.7–7.1 h for 100% CO 2 at 20°C; corresponding LT 50 s at 28°C were 2.8–4.6 h for 60% CO 2 in air and 2.3–3.6 h for 100% CO 2 . Complete kill of mobile stages was obtained within 24 h using 60% CO 2 at 20°C. Survivors of treatments with 100% CO 2 at 28°C remained completely paralysed for up to 3 days post‐treatment and took up to 5 days to regain normal movement, but adult females then resumed production of oothecae with no significant loss in fecundity. Oothecae 5 or 30 days after deposition required 60–84 h exposure to 60% CO 2 at 20°C to prevent emergence of nymphs but less time using 100% CO 2 at 28°C. At 28°C, when adult females were treated with 100% CO 2 and 52% r.h. for 6 h (giving 100% mortality) loss of weight was significantly greater than that following treatment with air at 52% r.h. for 6 h (giving no mortality). However, significantly greater weight loss also occurred when they were treated with dried air (< 10% r.h.) for 6 h, also with no mortality. The toxicity of CO 2 to mobile stages of the oriental cockroach appeared to result from irreversible effects on the nervous system, rather than from water loss during exposure.