1962] 
Roth and Stay - — Cockroaches 
69 
of the bisexual strain has no stimulating effect on growth of the 
oocytes as indicated by age of the female at ovulation (Roth and 
Willis, 1961). 
Six parthenogenetic strain females, allatectomized when 1-2 days 
old, did not oviposit within a month after the operations. Five of these 
females had 2 pairs of corpora allata implanted at 29 to 30 days after 
allatectomy. Four produced oothecae in less than 35 days and one 
died after 44 days. At 1 1 1 days after allatectomy one female that still 
had not ovulated received corpora allata implants and oviposited in 
less than 21 days. This strain normally oviposits about 13 days after 
emergence (table 1). The delay in oviposition after implanting cor- 
pora allata may have been due to the presence of degenerating oocytes 
in the ovaries since the oocytes already have yolk one to two days after 
emergence (the age at which allatectomy was performed). In Leuco- 
phaea, oocytes in resorption inhibit the corpora allata (Engelmann, 
1957)- 
Table 2 — Effect of mating on oocyte development and 
oviposition in Byrsotria fumigata 
OBSERVATION 
MATED 
VIRGIN 
Total number observed 
63 
213 
Number oviposited 
53 (84%) 
102 (48%) 
Ootheca retracted normally 
46 
92 
Ootheca incompletely retracted 
7 
5 
Ootheca dropped 
O 
5 
Number failed to oviposit 
10 (16%) 
hi (52%) 
Oocytes large, well developed 
or matured but degenerating 
and being resorbed 
4 1 2 
ON 
00 
10 
Oocytes small, abnormal in 
shape, being resorbed 
6 3 
35 4 
Oocytes small, normal in 
appearance but only 
slightly or not at all developed 
0 
8 
1 Three of the 4 females had sperm in their spermathecae ; one lacked 
sperm. 
2 These females were 35 to 60 days old when dissected. 
3 A11 had sperm in their spermathecae. 
4 Twenty-one of these females were 32 to 60 days old. The other 
14 were 11 to 24 days of age but since their oocytes were small and 
abnormal they would not have oviposited. 
