いくつかの脂肪酸およびその関連物質のゴキブリ 3 種に対する誘引作用と摂食行動誘起作用

Abstract

Some fatty acids, their esters, and related alcohols were assayed by a filter paper method for the attractive and feeding stimulative effect on the three species of cockroaches, Periplaneta americana, P. fuliginosa, and Blattella germanica. The results suggest that the starved cockroaches are attracted to many kinds of fat soluble substances which include at least above mentioned three groups of compounds. There seems to be optimum ranges of molecular weights for attractiveness in homologous groups of the compounds. The most effective saturated free fatty acids in gathering the insects on the spots treated with them were n-caproic, n-caprylic, n-capric, and lauric acid. Oleic acid, one of unsaturated fatty acids, was also highly attractive. The most effective attractants in esters were methyl myristate, ethyl myristate, methyl palmitate, and ethyl palmitate. Saturated normal alcohols with 8 to 14 carbon atoms were also attractive especially for P. americana, and P. fuliginosa. Oleyl alcohol was especially attractive for B. germanica. A few of the attractive compounds also showed the feeding stimulative effect, but many others were less or not effective in eliciting feeding responses in the three species at a dose level of about 250μg per spot on the paper, despite of their long time exposure to the insects. The most effective feeding stimulants were n-caprylic acid and methyl myristate. Oleyl alcohol was especially stimulative for B. germanica, but not for the others. There observed a few species-specific responses to some compounds, though the lack of specificity of most of the attracting compounds and feeding stimulative ones among the three species was demonstrated.