Stridulation by a Cockroach during Courtship Behaviour

Abstract

WE have found that the male of Nauphoeta cinerea stridulates during courtship. The male raises his wings and tegmina when courting the female, and exposes his tergum¹. The female responds to a pheromone (seducin), produced in the male's abdomen, and mounts and palpates or “feeds” on his tergum². The male initially courts without stridulating, and if the female is receptive, mating will occur quickly. If the female does not respond by mounting and feeding, however, or if she does mount and the male's attempts to grasp her genitalia are unsuccessful and she dismounts, he lowers his tegmina and wings, touches her with his antennae or legs, or stands within about 2 cm from her and stridulates. The male stridulates when the female remains quiescent; if she begins to move about he stops stridulating and usually turns facing away from her and raises his tegmina and wings.