Spectral Sensitivity and Behavioral Response to Light Quality in the German Cockroach (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae)
- 1 November 1987
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Annals of the Entomological Society of America
- Vol. 80 (6) , 820-822
- https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/80.6.820
Abstract
The German cockroach has color vision. Electroretinograms of the dorsal part of the compound eye defined two peaks of sensitivity, a major one in the blue-green portion of the spectrum (490 nm) and a minor one in the ultraviolet (UV) (365 nm). However, actographic analysis indicated that UV light stimulated the highest levels of locomotor activity, a startle response to the onset of light in dark-adapted males. Green light stimulated ca. 30% as much activity as UV; gold and red did not affect locomotion. Because gold light provides more illumination than red, and apparently does not affect cockroach locomotion, it is recommended for observing and videorecording their nocturnal activity.Keywords
This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit:
- Spectral Sensitivity of Stable, Face, and Horn Flies and Behavioral Responses of Stable Flies to Visual Traps (Diptera: Muscidae) 1Environmental Entomology, 1983
- Circadian Rhythms of Locomotion in Six Noctuid Species1Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 1979