Measurement for Solitariness and Gregarism: Analysing Spacing, Attraction and Interactions in Four Species of Zetoborinae (Blattaria)

Abstract

Distinguishing gregarism based on attraction between conspecifics from aggregation based on environmental factors is not a trivial task. In this paper, we propose a laboratory experimental design for characterizing gregarism, using Zetoborine cockroaches as a model. Three complementary tests were used: the classical spacing and attraction tests, complemented by analyses of social interactions with flow charts on factorial maps. Convergent results from the three tests allowed a tentative characterization of solitariness and different degrees of gregarism. These elements were used to improve the interpretation of spacing patterns of four species of cockroaches observed in the field.

Phylogenetic analysis of social behavior evolution in [Zetoborinae + Blaberinae + Gyninae + Diplopterinae] cockroaches: an update with the study of endemic radiations from the Atlantic forest

“…Some recent works have also been done independently, such as the discovery of luminescence in the genus Hormetica Burmeister, 1838, which led to the description of the new genus Lucihormetica Zompro & Fritzsche, 1999 and the study of its life habits (Zompro & Fritzsche, 1999;Fritzsche, 2003). Later, more detailed behavioral studies have been performed in the laboratory to assess the differences among gregarious and solitary species (Van Baaren & Deleporte, 2001Van Baaren et al, 2002b. Regarding the Neotropical subfamilies, all these studies focused on Amazonian taxa, because the behavior of several taxa was poorly known or even completely unknown outside this region.…”

Weakly aggressive behaviour towards nymphs in the cockroach Schultesia nitor (Blattaria: Zetoborinae)

“…Both species show similar external morphology and same behavioural repertoire [van Baaren et al, 2003a,b, and this study]. Young Schultesia nymphs show solitary habits, whereas adults show strong interindividual attraction [van Baaren and Deleporte, 2001;van Baaren et al, 2002a] with these gregarious habits appearing progressively during nymphal development [van Baaren et al, 2003b].…”

“…To test for the effect of the developmental instar stage of the nymph on the expression of female aggressive behaviour, a female was placed 1 day after parturition with a non-kin nymph of the fourth, sixth and last nymphal instars in treatments L, M and N, respectively. Considering that groups of Schultesia in the field can be composed of females, males and nymphs [van Baaren et al, 2002a], the behaviour of adult males and of last instar nymphs towards neonate nymphs was examined in treatments O and P, respectively. Each pair was video recorded during the whole first hour of the scotophase and the behaviour performed by each member of the pair was analysed.…”

Phylogenetic analysis of non-stereotyped behavioural sequences with a successive event-pairing method

“…Gregarious behaviour in cockroaches is a famous example of presocial behaviour (Schal, Gautier & Bell, 1984; Gautier, Deleporte & Rivault, 1988; Nalepa & Bell, 1997; Grandcolas, 1999; van Baaren et al. , 2002, 2003b).…”

“…It has been recently analysed in a molecular and morphological comparative framework in the subfamilies Zetoborinae and Blaberinae (Grandcolas, 1991, 1993a, b, 1998; Pellens, Legendre & Grandcolas, 2007a; Pellens et al. , 2007b), which provided both a phylogenetic reference and a natural history context for the interpretation of social behaviour observed in the laboratory (Grandcolas, 1991; van Baaren & Deleporte, 2001; van Baaren et al. , 2002, 2003a).…”