Sugar aversion hampers cockroach coupling

"gift" of body secretions that combines sugars and fats—think of the roach version of chocolate—in order to attract and hold female attention long enough to start copulation.

Generally, cockroaches love sugar. But some have developed an aversion to glucose; Wada-Katsumata in 2013 published a paper that showed the neural mechanism behind this aversion in German cockroaches, a behavior that perhaps has become more pronounced due to the presence of the simplein roach baits placed inside homes. In a 2021 paper, Wada-Katsumata and Schal showed that cockroach saliva converts complex sugars into glucose.

When successful, male cockroaches entice females with a gift of chemical secretions. As females feed on the treat, the mating process begins. Glucose-averse females will flee the scene, though, when their saliva makes the treat unpalatable. Credit: Ayako Wada-Katsumata

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