Behavioral Responses of the American Cockroach (Periplaneta americana) to Environmental Stressors in Residential and Agricultural Areas

• Zahraa J. Kadhem1 Iqbal Zahoo Abed kashmer2 Mariam H. Chaffat3 Rajaa G. Abd-almohsn4

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This study aimed to evaluate the behavioral responses of the American cockroach Periplaneta americana to several major environmental stressors including temperature light intensity, and humidity. A total of 90 adult cockroaches were collected, comprising 45 individuals from residential environments and 45 individuals from agricultural environments in Karbala Province the results revealed a clear variation in behavioral responses according to the insects original habitat, reflecting the remarkable adaptability of the American cockroach to diverse environmental conditions Cockroaches collected from agricultural environments exhibited a stronger preference for the warm zone 35°C with an attraction rate of 62.21% whereas those collected from residential environments showed a greater preference for the moderate zone 25°C with an attraction rate of 57.77% the overall effect rates of temperature treatments were 18.88% 39.99% and 42.21% for the cool moderate and warm zones respectively for the cool, moderate and warm zones respectively in response to light conditions  the American cockroach exhibited a pronounced negative phototactic behavior  individuals collected from residential environments showed a stronger preference for dark areas than those from agricultural environments with environmental effect rates of 74.43% and 24.44% respectively this finding is consistent with the well-documented nocturnal behavior of this species.

Regarding humidity preference the results demonstrated a significant attraction toward environments with high relative humidity (70%) this preference was more evident among individuals originating from agricultural environments which exhibited an effect rate of 51.10% compared with 49.99% for those collected from residential environments  furthermore  the overall effect rate of humidity reached 71.10% in the humid environment compared with 29.99% in the dry environment these findings indicate that Periplaneta americana possesses considerable behavioral plasticity  enabling it to adjust its responses to environmental conditions according to habitat-specific selective pressures such adaptability may contribute substantially to its ecological success and widespread distribution across both residential and agricultural environments.

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