THE MATING BEHAVIOR OF 
PARCOBLATTA FULVESCENS 
(SAUSSURE AND ZEHNTNER) 
( BLATTARIA, BLABEROIDEA, 
BLATTELLIDAE, BLATTELLINAE ) 1 
By Peter Wendelken and R. H. Barth 2 
Department of Zoology 
The University of Texas at Austin 
This communication is the sixth in a series of largely descriptive 
papers dealing with the mating behavior of cockroaches (see Barth, 
1961, 1964, 1968a & b, 1970; Roth and Barth, 1967). The aim 
of this series is twofold : first to provide background information for 
experimental studies, and second to provide the detailed comparative 
information necessary for a study of the evolution of mating be- 
havior within the Blattaria. A more general introduction to the 
series may be found in Barth (1964). The mating behavior of the 
Fulvous wood cockroach, Parcoblatta fulvescens (Saussure and 
Zehntner), forms the subject of this communication. 
Materials and Methods 
Stock cultures of P. fulvescens were maintained as described by 
Barth (1964) for Byrsotria fumigata. The observations on mating 
behavior were made in the evening (the normal activity period for 
these animals) under red illumination in specially designed observa- 
tion chambers constructed of wood (13" X 9" X 5" deep) with 
a removable partition dividing the chamber into two equal parts (for 
details, see Barth, 1964). In each observation 2 to 3 males and 
2 to 3 females were employed. The ethological terms employed in 
the description have been previously defined by Barth (1964). 
Results and Discussion 
Parcoblatta fulvescens is a small (11 to 17 mm in length) cock- 
roach generally found in wooded areas under leaf litter and other 
debris and is widely distributed in eastern, southern, and central 
areas of the United States. It shows marked sexual dimorphism. 
The females are robust and wingless with reduced tegmina that 
extend over the first abdominal segment. They are orange-brown 
*No. 6 in a series of papers entitled “The Mating Behavior of Cock- 
roaches.” 
Supported by N.S.F. Research Grant GB-4614 and NIH Training Grant 
2T01-GM-008 37-07. 
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