A new DNA virus (Parvoviridae: Densovirinae, Densovirus) was isolated and purified from descendants of field-collected German cockroaches, Blattella germanica. Viral DNA and cockroach tissues infected with B. germanica densovirus (BgDNV) were examined by electron microscopy. Virus particles, about 20 nm in diameter, were observed both in the nucleus and in the cytoplasm of infected cells. Virus...

Vespula vulgaris is an invasive scavenging social wasp that has very recently arrived in Patagonia (Argentina), a territory previously invaded - 35 yrs earlier - by another wasp, Vespula germanica Although V. vulgaris wasps possess features that could be instrumental in overcoming obstacles through several invasion stages, the presence of preestablished populations of V. germanica could affect ...

BACKGROUND German cockroach or Blattella germanica is commonly found in homes across the inter-tropical region. The contribution of sensitisation to Blattella germanica in people with asthma in sub-Saharan Africa has not received attention. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and investigate the predicting factors of sensitisation to Blattella germanica in patients with asthma in...

The interspecific competition between a new cockroach pest species in Southeast Asia, the Smooth cockroach, Symploce pallens (Stephens) and the ubiquitous German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.) was studied under different food and water regimes (unlimited food and water [control], limited water, limited food and limited food and water). Both species were found to have equal chances to coexi...

Glucose-averse (Glu/Glu) male German cockroaches, Blattella germanica, rejected brief exposures to glucose solutions despite food deprivation so extreme as to cause high mortality. In the 24-h period following 5 days of food deprivation, both Glu/Glu and wild-type (+/+) were given a continuous source of 1 M glucose solution. Although Glu/Glu visited the solution as frequently as +/ + , feeding ...

YXFGL-NH(2) family allatostatins (ASTs) were isolated from cockroach brain extracts based on their capacity to inhibit juvenile hormone (JH) biosynthesis in corpora allata (CA) incubated in vitro. Subsequently, the inhibitory activity of synthetic ASTs was demonstrated experimentally, although these peptides were shown to be active as JH inhibitors only in cockroaches, crickets, and termites. H...

Blattella germanica allergen 2(Bla g 2) gene was amplified by RT-PCR from total RNA of Blattella germanica and inserted into pET-41b vector properly. GST-Bla g 2 was expressed in E.coli via IPTG induction, a relative molecular mass of approximately 74kDa was showed by SDS-PAGE. The expressed fusion protein was purified by Ni+-agarose affinity chromatography, an emulsion was prepared with the pu...

Large numbers of a cockroach that resembled the German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.), were observed duringwinter 2005Ð2006 in home turf settings inWeslaco, TX, 11 km from theU.S. borderwith northeasternMexico. In June and July 2006, this cockroachwas observed at night on the foliage of soybean,Glycine max (L.)Merr., in numbers often exceeding 50 per m row. Because of its similarity to B. ...

Development of nymphs and oocyte maturation in adults were examined in Blattella germanica (L.) reared on three commercial diets. Nymphs fed rat food developed significantly faster than nymphs fed two commercial dog foods. Similarly, oocytes matured more quickly in adult females that were raised on rat food than in females raised on dog food. Nymphal development and oocyte maturation were slowe...

Insect metamorphosis is regulated by ecdysteroids, which induce molts, and juvenile hormone (JH), which inhibits metamorphic changes. The molecular action of ecdysteroids has been thoroughly studied, but that of JH is poorly understood, with data currently only being available for holometabolous species, like Drosophila melanogaster and Tribolium castaneum. We studied the function of Krüppel ho...