title: Biological response of German cockroaches fed diets containing allopurinol.
abstract: The acceptability of dietary allopurinol to German cockroaches, Blattella germanica (L.), was assessed. In diet choice tests between rat chow with or without 0.1% w/w allopurinol there were no significant differences in nymphal development, feeding duration, visits or consumption. The LT50 of cockroaches fed a choice of diets was 3 weeks greater (7.88) than those fed non-choice a 0.1% allopurinol diet. Female cockroaches provided a choice of diets aborted a significantly greater percentage of their oothecae (98.6%) than those fed the untreated diet (1.7%). Choice arena tests of 2% allopurinol in rat chow significantly reduced cockroach populations compared with untreated controls. After 6 weeks, populations were reduced by approximately 50%, and 97% after 14 weeks. These results indicate that allopurinol is acceptable to B. germanica as a dietary supplement which could be used in baits for cockroach control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville.
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Suiter
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Koehler
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Patterson
mesh_terms: D000493:Allopurinol; D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D003058:Cockroaches / Q000502:physiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D007300:Insect Control / Q000379:methods*; D009758:Nymph / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000493:Allopurinol