Faunistic study of cockroaches in north of Tehran

Cockroaches are pests that often live in polluted environments such as sewers, and toilets, and for this reason, they carry various bacteria, fungi, viruses, archaebacteria, protozoa, and microorganisms. These insects are prevalent in the environments such as kitchens, dining halls, hospitals, and public places; so they are in touch with many people. Cockroaches contaminate food by vomiting and defecating on it, so they are carrier of many diseases, including yellow fever, diphtheria, tetanus, salmonella typhi, cholera, polio, dysentery, tuberculosis, etc. Also, these insects release smelly and harmful gases that aggravate asthma and allergies. Therefore, it is necessary and mandatory to identify cockroach species and investigate their habitat to fight against them as effectively as possible. In this study, ۱۰۰ cockroaches were randomly collected from dormitory, university, houses, and restaurants from the north of Tehran by hand and sticky traps, and identified according to valid identification keys. According to results, ۵ types of cockroaches were identified, including Periplaneta americana (American cockroach), Blatta orientalis (Oriental cockroach), Blattella germanica (German cockroach), Supella longipulpa (Brown-banded cockroach), and Blatta(Shelfordella)lateralis (Turkestan cockroach). The abundance of cockroaches was as follows: ۴۲ Periplaneta americana, ۲۲ Blatta orientalis, ۱۷ Blatta lateralis, ۱۲ Blattella germanica, and ۷ Supella longipulpa. As a result, the American cockroach and the Brown-banded cockroach were the most, and the least abundant species, respectively. This indicates the American cockroaches are resistant to the pesticides, and also have high ability to adapt themselves to environment.

Keywords:

Cockroach , Faunistic , Pathogenic , Pest