1962] 
Roth and Stay — Cockroaches 
207 
(mated bisexual strain females whose uterine eggs do not develop) 
where the ootheca does not increase markedly in size because the eggs 
remain undeveloped, inhibition of the corpora allata, resulting from 
the presence of the ootheca, ceases, and consequently the oocytes 
develop in spite of the presence of the egg case; it seems that because 
of the constant, more or less unchanging pressure stimulus resulting 
from an ootheca that is not increasing in size, pressure receptors (or 
the central nervous system) become adapted and nervous inhibition 
of the corpora allata ceases. 
ABSTRACT 
The effect of mating on oocyte development and oviposition in 
Pycnoscelus Surinam ensis , Byrsotria fumigata , Blaberus craniifer, Bla- 
berus gigantms, Nauphoeta cinerea and Leucophaea tnaderaej all 
cockroaches that incubate their eggs internally, was investigated. In 
Diploptera punctata , the majority of females require mating for 
maturation of the oocytes. In Pycnoscelus mating is unnecessary for 
egg maturation. Between these two extremes are species which show 
varying degrees of dependence on external mating stimuli for over- 
coming inhibition or for stimulating corpora allata. Various species 
also show different degrees of dependence on mating for normal form- 
ation and retraction of the ootheca into the uterus. 
The extent to which cockroaches depend upon food intake for stimu- 
lation of the corpora allata also varies. The species may be arranged in 
a series showing complete dependence to complete independence upon 
food for oocyte development. 
Experiments to determine the nature of inhibition of the corpora 
allata during pregnancy indicate that inhibition is due to nervous 
stimuli resulting from pressure of the growing eggs in the uterus. 
References Cited 
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