Studies on Biology, Morphometrics and Substrate Preference of the Burrowing Cockroach <i>Pycnoscelus surinamensis</i> (L.)

Abstract

Biology of the burrowing cockroach Pycnoscelus surinamensis (L.) revealed that there are four instars and took 134.8±4.94 days to complete lifecycle. Morphometric studies showed increase in antennal body length, head width, pronotum length and width from first to fourth instar with peak at adult and other developmental stages well fit into Brooks-Dyar rule. All body parameters showed hypoallometry except pronotum length which showed hyperallometry. In substrate preference studies, the survival was lowest for the treatment without substrate and against the treatments with substrates like leaf litter, cocopeat and vermiculite. The mean number of offspring produced and survived was found to be lower in the treatments without substrate and with leaf litter against the treatments with cocopeat and vermiculite.