Proprioceptive feedback from the moving wings of locusts contains information which could be sufficient for the control of the timing of the wing-muscle contractions. It has been found, however, that at the high frequency of limb movement used in flight this phasic information content is lost in the ganglionic transfer (Wilson & Gettrup, 1963). During rapid running the legs of cockroaches also ...

Controlling insect pests still relies on the extensive usage of generic and established methods, such as pesticides, which utilise broad spectrum chemicals or toxins persisting in environment targeting non-pest species. Therefore, more effective environmental friendly approaches are needed to counteract these damaging effects. Since a laser can be remotely directed neutralise undesirable target...

We investigated associations between prenatal and postnatal environmental factors onset remission of preschool childhood eczema across China. The study population was preschoolers in randomized day care centers seven cities (N = 39,782). Data on indoor outdoor environment were obtained from a cross-sectional questionnaire sent to parents or other guardians. Reports the first 2 years past year u...

The ability to initiate movements can be impaired in some brain injuries even though motor actions proceed normally once they are begun. The effects of venom that wasps use in preying upon cockroaches could provide insights into this problem.

"Push-pull" is a behavior manipulation strategy in which behavior-modifying stimuli are integrated with a pest control agent. We evaluated the efficacy of an insecticide bait in combination with attractants ("pull"), repellents ("push"), or both ("push-pull") using a hydramethylnon-based bait, feces-contaminated surfaces as an attractant, and methyl neodecanamide-treated surfaces to repel cockr...

Adhesive organs on the legs of arthropods and vertebrates are strongly direction dependent, making contact only when pulled towards the body but detaching when pushed away from it. Here we show that the two types of attachment pads found in cockroaches (Nauphoeta cinerea), tarsal euplantulae and pretarsal arolium, serve fundamentally different functions. Video recordings of vertical climbing re...

Many insects at rest breathe discontinuously, alternating between brief bouts of gas exchange and extended periods of breath-holding. The association between discontinuous gas exchange cycles (DGCs) and inactivity has long been recognised, leading to speculation that DGCs lie at one end of a continuum of gas exchange patterns, from continuous to discontinuous, linked to metabolic rate (MR). How...

Mortality of German cockroaches, Blattella germanica (L.), caused by Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin strain AC-1 alone and in combination with different formulations of boric acid, was evaluated in laboratory bioassays. Topical application of M. anisopliae alone (8.96 10 conidia/m) required 28 days to cause >92% cockroach mortality (LT50 10 days). In contrast, in combination with ...