| Abstrakt: |
In cockroaches sexual dimorphism in body size is common and all patterns are exhibited, however female size bias predominates. The aim of present study was to evaluate intersexual differences in body dimensions and weight in 12 cockroach species: Blaberus craniifer Burmeister, Blaberus discoidalis Serville, Blaberus boliviensis Princis, Eublaberus posticus (Erichson), Eublaberus distanti (Kirby), Archimandrita tessellata Rehn, Blaptica dubia (Serville), Panchlora nivea (L.), Nauphoeta cinerea (Olivier), Phoetalia pallida (Brunner von Wattenwyl), Shelfordella lateralis (Walker) and Periplaneta americana (L.). Fifty male and 50 female adults of each species were weighted and their body length, length and width of pronotum and lengths of antennae and tegmina were measured. In all species female-biased sexual size dimorphism was present: females were significantly heavier and their pronota were longer and wider. Also females body length had higher values in 10 out 12 species. In other two species intersexual differences in body length appeared to be insignificant. On the other hand, male antennae were significantly longer in majority of studied species, with exception of P. nivea, P. pallida and N. cinerea. Thus, in majority of studied species, males had longer antennae in spite of their smaller sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
