Chemical study on the evolutionary process for household pests cockroaches and the pest management

本项目的目的是研究蟑螂在成为家庭害虫过程中的进化适应机制，重点是蟑螂对婚姻信息素分泌物和普通食物成分的诱食反应的化学感受基础。德国小蠊雄性在连续的求偶行为中，从腹部背腺分泌一种信息素，引起雌性的取食反应。婚礼分泌物由寡糖、磷脂、类固醇和氨基酸的复杂混合物组成。雌性蟑螂的交配取食行为是由雄性蟑螂的背板分泌物中含有类似于其普通食物中的成分的复杂营养成分引起的。对不同生境的德国小蠊（B.germanica）、斜纹小蠊（B.lituricollis）和日本小蠊（B.nipponica）3种小蠊的交配分泌物进行了化学成分分析。雄蟑螂的生物合成系统和雌蟑螂的化学感受特性可能反映了雄蟑螂信息素组成的多样性，雌蟑螂对高营养物质的偏好可能是其对家庭害虫的适应机制。

The aim of this project is to study on the evolutionary adaptation mechanism of cockroach species in the process of becoming to household pests, focusing on the chemosensory basis of phagostimulant responses of the cockroaches toward the nuptial pheromonal secretions and ordinary food components. Males of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, secrete a pheromonal substance from the abdominal tergal glands, which elicits a feeding response in females during the sequential courtship behavior. The nuptial secretion consists of a complex mixture of oligosaccharides, phospholipids, steroids and amino acids. The nuptial feeding behavior of the female cockroach is elicited by a complex assortment of nutritive components in the male tergal secretion similar to ingredients found in their ordinary foods. The chemical compositions of nuptial secretions were examined in three Blattella species from different habitats, B.germanica (house), B.lituricollis (field) and B.nipponica (forest). The 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 evidence suggests an adaptation mechanism of the cockroach in the process toward a household pests via the female's preference to the highly nutritional substances.