Diversity and Management of Cockroaches in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Biology Department, Faculty of Science, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Cockroaches are insects of high public health importance, since disgorging a portion of partially digested food at intervals and dropping faeces they spread several parasites and pathogens, which infect humans and other animals. Therefore, this research mainly focused on the abundance and distribution of cockroaches (Blattidae) in four localities of Tabuk region, Saudi Arabia. This study mainly focused on the effect of variations in the temperature, rainfall and humidity on the cockroach population density. Saudi Arabia is an arid region, characterized by extremely low annual rainfall. Only two cockroach species were recorded in this study, Blattella germanica and Periplaneta americana. The abundance of both species in arid regions was generally low compared to other regions (i.e., tropical and subtropical areas). In the four study sites, a significant positive relationship was detected between the population density of cockroaches against temperature and rainfall, i.e., R= 0.346, P≤ 0.01; R= 0.041, P≤ 0.01 for Dhubaa, R= 0.884, P≤ 0.01; R= 0.15, P≤ 0.01 Naseem, R= 0.797, P≤ 0.01; R= 0.15, P≤ 0.01Sultanah and R= 0.782, P≤ 0.01; R= 0.15, P≤ 0.01 for Khaldia. Furthermore, a negative relationship between humidity and population density was recorded in the studied sites. Bioassay results showed that among the chosen pesticides, pyrethroid had the maximum toxicity effect on both nymph and adult of P. americana followed by biocide and Organophosphates. Overall, this research provides baseline information on cockroach ecology, which may be helpful to boost effective and safer control programs against cockroaches in arid countries worldwide.

Keywords

Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences, F. Toxicology & Pest Control
Volume 15, Issue 2
December 2023
Pages 15-24

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