MILLER, GL*; LOUDON, C; University of Kansas; University of Kansas: Searching Through a Forest For a Mate: Orientation of Cockroaches In a Complex Flow Environment

Native wood roaches of the genus Parcoblatta are found in forested and field habitats throughout much of the Eastern United States. Laboratory studies of some species of this sexually dimorphic genus have shown that the females (short-winged) emit a volatile sex pheromone that attracts the more mobile males (long-winged). Field studies have shown that male Parcoblatta are found higher from the ground than females. One possible explanation for this vertical stratification is that pheromone plumes may be rising upward as they move downwind. Thus, downwind males could be located higher in the vegetation to increase their chances of intercepting a pheromone plume and locating a receptive female. While a pheromone plume travels downwind and upwards in a forest, it also flows around cylindrical tree trunks. Because not all locations around a tree have the same flow speed, the likelihood of pheromone interception should vary around the surface of the tree. The goal of this study is to determine the extent to which natural air flow patterns influence the positioning behavior of males. The radial and vertical stratification of males has the potential to greatly influence pheromone detection. Preliminary results of male orientation behavior relative to air flow and pheromone location are presented.