| My objectives were to test the hypotheses: (1) that firebrats, Thermobia domestica (Packard) (Thysanura: Lepismatidae), select microhabitats based on their physical characteristics; and (2) that aggregation behaviour of T. domestica is mediated, at least in part, by an intraspecific chemical signal. In binary choice experiments in large still-air bioassay arenas, laboratory-reared T. domestica preferred microhabitats that offered dark harborage with small entrance holes. The presence of a heat source (35°C) within the harborage enhanced its effectiveness in retaining T. domestica. The presence of food, in contrast, did not appear to be a critical parameter of habitat suitability, but its effect may depend upon the insects' physiological condition. The hypothesis that T. domestica produce an aggregation signal was tested in 3-chamber olfactometer bioassay experiments, with individual insects released into the central chamber and test stimuli placed in lateral chambers. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)... |
