The Madagascar Hissing Cockroach as an Alternative Non-mammalian Animal Model to Investigate Virulence, Pathogenesis, and Drug Efficacy

Chua, Jennifer; Fisher, Nathan; Falcinelli, Shane D.; DeShazer, David; Friedlander, Arthur M.

doi:10.3791/56491-v

Cited by 2 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Another researcher then injected the cockroach with a 27‐gauge needle into the cutaneous membrane adjacent to the third, fourth, and fifth tergums from the posterior end of the cockroach, as per Chua et al. (2017). Following injection of all six cockroaches, they were allowed to recover from anesthesia in their individual plastic containers for 3 h (i.e., the half‐life of 20‐hydroxyecdysone), which is sufficient time to effect genomic (e.g., Yuan et al., 2023) and/or nongenomic (reviewed in Schlattner et al., 2006) ecdysteroid action on arthropod physiology while also allowing cockroaches to recover from anesthesia and maintain 20E concentrations.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Madagascar hissing cockroaches ( Gromphadorhina portentosa ) are large (40–90 mm in length) social cockroaches native to the island of Madagascar, where they live in male dominance hierarchical colonies (Clark & Moore, 1994; Leibensperger et al., 1985) in forest leaf litter and feed on fallen fruits and other detritus (Delfosse, 2006). Gromphadorhina portentosa thrive in the laboratory, and they are widely maintained in laboratory colonies for research and educational purposes (e.g., Bell, 1981; Chua et al., 2017; Heyborne et al., 2012). As their common name suggests, G. portentosa produces distinctive hissing sounds by forcing air in and out of their abdominal spiracles (Nelson, 1979).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Changes to the acoustic properties of Gromphadorhina portentosa defensive sounds when exposed to the molting hormone, 20‐hydroxyecdysone

Parker,

Basak,

Foltynski

et al. 2024

Ethology

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Steroid hormones play a pivotal role in shaping arthropod phenotypes, with 20‐hydroxyecdysone (20E) serving as a key regulator of molting, a vulnerable period in an insect's lifecycle. Despite its critical role in arthropod growth and development, the influence of 20E on arthropod behavior, particularly defensive strategies, remains poorly understood. We investigated the impact of 20E on the bioacoustic characteristics of hisses in the Madagascar hissing cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa), a social species with multiple complex acoustic signals. With increased 20E, we predicted that hiss production would be more likely and more defensive (i.e., longer hisses with greater intensity (dB) and reduced frequency (Hz)). We injected male G. portentosa with either a low‐ (35 μg) or high‐dose (70 μg) of 20E or a control (0 μg 20E), and we measured the presence/absence of hissing responses and their bioacoustic characteristics following a standardized tactile stimulus. Contrary to our prediction, there was no difference in the likelihood of hissing or hiss duration with 20E administration. However, administering 20E resulted in reduced hiss intensity and increased hiss frequency (as measured by peak and center frequencies), suggesting potential shifts from defensive to aggressive signaling. Our study contributes to the limited knowledge of the behavioral effects of 20E, suggesting that some arthropods may experience increased aggression or energetic limitations to defense during molting. Behavioral changes elicited by hormones have important implications for both fundamental ecology and applied pest management.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes to the acoustic properties of Gromphadorhina portentosa defensive sounds when exposed to the molting hormone, 20‐hydroxyecdysone

Parker,

Basak,

Foltynski

et al. 2024

Ethology

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“…36 Due to their large size, relative tameness, and general easy keeping, MHC have become popular in classrooms, zoological collections, museums, research laboratories, and as private exotic pets. 9,10,17,34,36,61 In veterinary and human medicine, cockroaches are often considered a pest species due to their role in disease transmission, as a source of allergy development, or as intermediate or paratenic hosts to parasites of humans and various animal species. 2,8,12,49,54,61 Descriptions of natural disease of MHC are limited to only a few reports.…”

Section: Original Articlementioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Histological Findings in Captive Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches (Gromphadorhina portentosa) and a Literature Review

Monahan

Bogan

LaDouceur³

2023

Vet Pathol

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Madagascar hissing cockroaches (MHC, Gromphadorhina portentosa) are members of the Blaberidae (giant cockroaches) family of the Insecta class. They are native to the African island of Madagascar where they live within leaf litter on the rainforest floor. Due to their large size, relative tameness, and general easy keeping, they have become popular in classrooms, zoological collections, museums, research laboratories, and as private exotic pets; however, descriptions of diseases of MHC in the literature are rare. The objective of this study is to describe and characterize postmortem histological findings in 18 captive MHC from a single zoological collection. In this retrospective study, 18 (4 females and 14 males) adult MHC necropsies were submitted to Northwest ZooPath between 2016 and 2020 for evaluation. The main organs with histological lesions were chitinous gut (foregut and/or hindgut; n = 17), tracheae ( n = 15), fat body ( n = 14), ventriculus (midgut) ( n = 13), body wall ( n = 12), Malpighian tubules ( n = 12), and hemolymphatic sinuses ( n = 12). All animals had inflammatory lesions affecting various organs. Inflammatory lesions typically consisted of aggregates of hemocytes with variable amounts of melanization and/or encapsulation. Bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections were common and variably associated with hemocytic inflammation. Many of these organisms may represent symbiotic organisms of the MHC that cause opportunistic infections. This study contributes to the current knowledge of pathological findings and disease response of MHC and reviews diseases reported in multiple cockroach species.

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The Madagascar Hissing Cockroach as an Alternative Non-mammalian Animal Model to Investigate Virulence, Pathogenesis, and Drug Efficacy

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

Changes to the acoustic properties of Gromphadorhina portentosa defensive sounds when exposed to the molting hormone, 20‐hydroxyecdysone

Changes to the acoustic properties of Gromphadorhina portentosa defensive sounds when exposed to the molting hormone, 20‐hydroxyecdysone

Histological Findings in Captive Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches (Gromphadorhina portentosa) and a Literature Review

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