Journal of Chemical Ecology (2003) 29, 2183-2187

Soichi Kugimiya, Ritsuo Nishida and Yasumasa Kuwahara (2003)
Comparison of oligosaccharide compositions in male nuptial secretions of three cockroach species of the genus Blattella
Journal of Chemical Ecology 29 (9), 2183-2187
Abstract: Male cockroaches of the genus Blattella secrete courtshippheromones from abdominal tergal glands. Conspecific females mount courting males and feed on their tergal exudates. In the German cockroach, B. germanica, a complex mixture of oligosaccharides was previously identified as the major phagostimulants in the male tergal secretion. We compared the oligosaccharide compositions of three Blattella species from different habitats, B. germanica (house), B. lituricollis (field), and B. nipponica (forest), by gas chromatographic (GC) analysis of their trifluoroacetylated derivatives. The three possessed a series of maltooligosaccharides and oligoglucosyl trehaloses with alpha1->4 and alpha1->1 linkages in common. However, B. germanica was conspicuous for its accumulation of a oligoglucosyl trehalose with a alpha 1->6 linkage [O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-(1->6)-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl alpha-D-glucopyranoside] as the most prominent component of the secretion. Such diversification of the male pheromonal compositions within the genus might be reflected by biosynthetic systems in males and chemosensory properties in females suited for their natural habitat.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Ritsuo Nishida, Yasumasa Kuwahara

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
pheromones/attractants/traps
general biology - morphology - evolution

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Blattella germanica
	Blattella lituricollis