Habituation of the Light-Startle Response of Orange Head Cockroaches (Eublaberus posticus): Effects of Acclimation, Stimulus Duration, Presence of Food, and Intertrial Interval

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to establish the orange head cockroach (Eublaberus posticus) as a useful insect subject for research in comparative psychology by investigating habituation of the light-startle response (LSR). While one goal of comparative psychology is to compare the behavior of a diversity of species, many taxa, including cockroaches, are grossly underrepresented. Our work serves to improve this deficit by investigating habituation learning in the orange head cockroach in four experiments. In our first experiment, we found that LSR, and habituation of LSR, occurs to both lights being turned on and lights being turned off. In our second experiment, we found that the duration of a light did not affect response, and that spontaneous recovery of LSR occurs after 24 h intervals. In our third experiment, we found that the presence of food inhibited LSR. In our final experiment, we found that the rate of LSR habituation decreased as intertrial interval increased, in a manner predicted by established principles of habituation. Our work lays a strong foundation for future research on the behavior of orange head cockroaches as well as learning in cockroaches in general. We hope that our findings help establish cockroaches as practical insect subjects for research in comparative psychology and related fields such as behavior analysis and behavioral ecology.

Learning and memory in the orange head cockroach (Eublaberus posticus)

“…Our work is the first to show associative learning in the orange head cockroach ( Eublaberus posticus ), and the second to show any form of learning in this species [ 53 ]. While there are several experiments demonstrating associative learning in cockroaches, few use methods and analysis that permit specific comparisons of acquisition trends.…”

“…While there are a few studies on the social behavior of E . posticus [ 51 , 52 ], we are only familiar with a single paper on learning in this species; a series of habituation experiments conducted by our laboratory [ 53 ].…”

“…Additionally, E. posticus is unable to fly or climb smooth surfaces, making escapes rare and simplifying apparatus design. While there are a few studies on the social behavior of E. posticus [51,52], we are only familiar with a single paper on learning in this species; a series of habituation experiments conducted by our laboratory [53].…”