Document Type

Research

Abstract

Mark and recapture methods were used to estimate populations of American cockroaches, Periplenata americana (Linnaeus), and brown-banded cockroaches, Supella supellectilium (Serville) inhabiting various rooms in the Science Hall, Iowa State University. These methods also permitted estimates of sex ratios, length-frequencies, movement, and activity patterns. Food appeared to be the limiting factor in determining size of cockroach populations. Males outnumbered females in both species with total sex ratios being.8 and.6 for brown-banded and American cockroaches, respectively. Most of the American cockroaches caught were over 28.0 mm. with the 36.1 - 40.0 mm. class being the largest. The brown-banded cockroach catch contained two large length classes, 2.5 - 4.0 mm. and 12.5 - 14.0 mm., suggesting two major age classes. Room-to-room movement of cockroaches was limited, and over 93 percent of the catch occurred during the dark hours.

Publication Date

1968

Journal Title

Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science

Volume

Issue

First Page

447

Last Page

456

Copyright

Language

File Format

application/pdf

Recommended Citation

Bulow, Frank J. and Huggins, Donald G. (1968) "Mark-and-Recapture Methods for Studying Domestic Cockroach Populations," Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, 75(1), 447-456.
Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol75/iss1/58

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Mark-and-Recapture Methods for Studying Domestic Cockroach Populations

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