J Arthropod-Borne Dis, June 2017, 11(2): 249–259 H Memona et al.: Species Diversity and … 249 http://jad.tums.ac.ir Published Online: May 27, 2017 Original Article Species Diversity and Distributional Pattern of Cockroaches in Lahore, Pakistan Hafsa Memona, *Farkhanda Manzoor, Saffora Riaz Department of Zoology, Lahore College for Women University, Lahore, Pakistan (Received 28 Apr 2015; accepted 14 May 2016) Abstract Background: Cockroaches are found as the most common urban pests of tropical countries, prompting economic and serious health risk problem for humans by carrying microbes and allergens, acting as vector for various patho- gens of diseases. The present study was conducted from April 2013 to March 2014 in various human dwelling local- ities of urban area of district Lahore, Pakistan. Methods: Cockroaches were collected randomly by hand, food baited and sticky traps throughout the year. Four species of cockroaches (Periplaneta Americana (P. amercana), Blattella germanica (B. germanica), Blatta orientalis (B. orientalis), and Blatta lateralis (B. lateralis) were collected and identified from the study site. Results: B. germanica was the most dominant indoor species with highest diversity indices in study areas. Overall cockroach species diversity was highest in July–September, 2013 with highest Simpson index of diversity and Shan- non index as well. P. americana was found second broadly distributed in the study area followed by B. orientalis and B. lateralis were intermediately distributed in residential areas and narrowly distributed in hospitals. Residential ar- eas and hospitals were highly infested with B. germanica followed by P. americana. Population index of B. ger- manica for hospitals was double than residential areas. B. lateralis was observed as displacing B. orientalis in out- door habitat through competing with its habitat and food sources. Conclusion: The infestation rate of different species depends on availability of food sources, sanitary conditions and climatic conditions. Cockroach infestation can be controlled with knowledge about their biology and behavior, at- tention to sanitation and effective use of commercial insecticides. Keywords: Diversity, Cockroach, Pakistan, P. americana, B. germanica. Introduction Out of the 4600 species of cockroaches only 50 species have been reported as pests of human structures and dwellings world- wide. They randomly infringe in human hab- itation and never cause threat to indoor struc- tures (Cochran et al. 1980, Bonnefoy et al. 2008). Morphologically cockroaches are char- acterized by their dorsoventrally flattened body, head concealed beneath the pronotum, chewing mouth parts, prominent antennae and cerci. They are placed recently in their own order of Blattodea (Triplehorn and Johnson 2005). All types of human habitations including hospitals and houses are significantly infest- ed with cockroaches. Highly populated houses and impoverished living settings are breeding sites for indoor species especially Blattella ger- manica (B. germanica) (Bonnefoy e al. 2008). Poor sanitation, disrepair and clutter contrib- ute to increase population of cockroaches in human habitat. Foodstuffs can be contaminat- ed with cockroach feces, body parts and path- ogens. Increased population of cockroaches inside the homes will cause asthmatic aller- gies in peoples which can be life threatening in some cases (Lamiaa et al. 2007). The predominant species of cockroaches found in various types of human dwellings in Bangkok, Thailand, Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory, peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Chi- na, Indonesia, India and Pakistan are: Family *Corresponding authors Dr Farkhanda Manzoor, E-mail: doc_farkhanda@yahoo.com J Arthropod-Borne Dis, June 2017, 11(2): 249–259 H Memona et al.: Species Diversity and … 250 http://jad.tums.ac.ir Published Online: May 27, 2017 Blattidae include Periplaneta americana (P. americana) (American cockroach), P. austral- asiae (Australian cockroach), Periplaneta brunea (P. brunnea) (Burmeister) (Large brown cockroach), Periplaneta fuliginosa (P. fuliginosa), Blatta orientalis (B. orientalis) (Oriental cokroach), Neostylopyga rhombifo- lia (N. rhombifolia) (Stool) The Harlequin cockroach, Blatta (Shelfordella) lateralis (B. lateralis) (Walker) (Turkistan cockroach) and Hebardina concinna (H. concinna) (Dehaan) (Sriwichai et al. 2002, Chompoosri et al. 2004). Family Blattelidae include B. germanica (German cockroach), Blattella lituricollis (B. lituricollis) (Walker) (Smaller German cock- roach), Supella longipalpa (S. longipalpa) (Fabricius) (Brown banded cockroach), Blat- tella vaga (B. vaga) Hebard (Field cockroach), Blattella asahinai (B. asahinai) Mizukubo (Asian cockroach), Jacobsonina erebis (J. erebis), Symploce pallens (S. pallens) (Smooth cockroach) Symploce sphaerica (S. sphaeri- ca), Symploce miyakoensis (S. miyakoensis), Symploce okinerabuensis (S. okinoerabuensis), Symploce paramarginata (S. paramargina- ta) and Symploce evidens (S. evidens). Fam- ily polyphagiadae include Polyphaga aegyp- tica (P. aegyptica) and Polyphaga saussurei (P. saussurei). Family Blaberidae include Rhy- parobia maderae (R. maderae) (Madeira cockroach). Family Pycnoscelidae include Pyc- noscelis surinamensis (Linnaeus) (P. surina- mensis) the Surinam cockroach. Family Oxy- haloidae include Nauphoeta cinerea (Olivier) (N. cinerea) the lobster cockroach (Cochran et al. 1980, Zahedi and Jeffery 1996, Boyer and Rivault 2004, Jeffery et al. 2012, Wang and Che 2013). Different studies in Pakistan confirms the presence of P. americana, B. orientalis and B. germanica species of cockroaches in Pa- kistan (Mlso et al. 2005, Saira 2005, Ahmed et al. 2010, NIH 2010, Wakil et al. 2012, Malik et al. 2013, Syed et al. 2014). Cockroaches are one of the most important agent which can transmit almost 60 species of yeast, 150 bacterial species, 45 species of parasitic worms and 90 species of protozoa to human life either biologically or mechan- ically (Tachbele et al. 2006, Al-Marjani et al. 2008, Saichua et al. 2008, Al-bayati et al. 2011, Akinjogunla et al. 2012, Tilahun et al. 2012, Goralska and Kurnatowski 2013, Vaziri- anzadeh et al. 2014). They get infected with pathogenic bacteria causing bubonic plague, leprosy, dysentery, urinary infections, abscess- es and pimples etc. bacterial species can stay alive on cockroach body surfaces for many days (Vahabi et al. 2007). The parasitic organisms identified from cockroaches include helminthes and proto- zoans. The helminthes include Strongyloides stercoralis (S. stercoralis), Ascaris lumbri- coides (A. lumbricoides), Trichuris trichura (T. trichura), Taenia spp and identified pro- tozoans are Cyclospora spp, Entamoeba his- tolytica (E. histolytica), Entamoeba coli (E. coli), Balantidium coli (B. coli) and Isospora belli (I. belli) (Thyssen et al. 2004, Salehza- deh et al. 2007, Nyarango et al. 2008, Chamavit et al. 2011, El-Sherbini and El-Sherbini 2011). Cockroaches are contaminated with medical- ly important fungi including Candida, Asper- gillus niger (A. niger), Mucor, Rhizopus spp, Aspergillus fumigans (A. fumigans) and Pen- icillium spp. (Tatfeng et al. 2005, Salehza- deh et al. 2007). Cockroach associated bacteria include Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae), Sal- monella spp, Escherichia coli (E. coli), Pseu- domonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), Enter- obacter cloacae (E. cloacae), Citrobacter freun- dii (C. freundii), Enterobacter aerogenes (E. aerogenes) and Proteus mirabilis (P. mirabi- lis) which are potential pathogens. There was no significant difference between the overall bacteria load on the external surface in cock- roaches found in the food-handling estab- lishments (60.08%) and households (39.92%) (Wannigama et al. 2014). Pseudomonas aeru- ginosa has been demonstrated to multiply in the gut and excretion of the bacteria contin- J Arthropod-Borne Dis, June 2017, 11(2): 249–259 H Memona et al.: Species Diversity and … 251 http://jad.tums.ac.ir Published Online: May 27, 2017 ued up to 114 days. Further studies also re- vealed that Salmonella typhi (S. typhi), Shi- gella dysenteriae (S. dysenteriae) and toxi- genic strains of E. coli retained in the gut of cockroaches for up to several days (Fotedar et al. 1993, Pai et al. 2003). Present study was conducted with the objective to report species composition, di- versity, abundance, richness and population dynamics of cockroaches in urban areas of district Lahore. Lahore features a five season semi-arid climate ie foggy winters (15 Nov– 15 Feb) with few western disturbances caus- ing rains, pleasant spring (16 Feb–15 April), summer (15 April-June) with dust rain storms and heatwave periods, rainy monsoon (July– 16 September) and dry but pleasant autumn (16 September–14 November) (Punjab Mete- orology Department 2014). Due to the high population density in the city, 5000 tons per day of solid waste is produced in Lahore that is collected and disposed in one landfill site at Mehmood Booti and sewage is drained into river Ravi (Lahore Waste Management Company Report 2014). There are few scat- tered researches were conducted about spe- cies composition and abundance in last years. Economic importance of this domestic pest should be recognized. However, they are no- torious as vector of nosocomial infections, contaminating and deteriorating food and consumables, carry allergens of asthma and resistant to insecticidal sprays. Materials and Methods Experimental site Study site is the urban area of district La- hore lying between 31°15′-31°45′ N and 74°01′-74°39′ E, 217m elevated from sea level with total population of 7,566,000. Samples were collected from different hos- pitals, shopping malls/stores, institutes and residential areas in different seasons around one year. Sampling and identification of cockroaches Cockroaches were observed and collected randomly from April 2013 to March 2014 with the help of sticky traps, food baited pit- fall traps and manual catching by hand. Specimens were collected from 20 different sites including hospitals (Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Mayo Hospital, Sheikh Zaid Hos- pital, Jinnah Hospital and General Hospital) shopping malls/stores (Swera departmental store, Metro cash and carry and Hyperstar), institutes/office (LCWU, Punjab university, UVAS, GCU Lahore and PASSCO), houses (Mughalpura, Model town, Shadman, Shalmar, Maraghzaar, Johar town and Jallo town). Global Positioning System of study sites are listed in Table 1. Traps were kept on the floor close to the wall of room, under cupboards, bed, storage racks, under washbasins and pantry. Each trap was placed in living room, bedroom, bathroom and kitchen of houses, different wards, store rooms, kitchen stores, canteen area of hospitals, in grocery area, food area of shopping store and in each working room of the Institute/office units for three consecutive nights. Nymphs along with adults were heavily trapped in baits and traps. The collected specimens were transported to en- tomology laboratory for identification up to species level with the help of published keys (Pratt and Littig 1969, Abul Hab 1980, Ha- genbuch et al. 1988, Roth 1995, Choate 2009). Species abundance and richness was evalu- ated in 4 trimesters comprising whole year from April, 2013 to March, 2014. Weather Data Collection Average monthly temperature and humid- ity data were obtained from the Punjab Me- teorological Department, Lahore and com- paratively analyzed with population density of cockroaches. Data analysis The observations were tabulated and data were statistically analyzed using Microsoft J Arthropod-Borne Dis, June 2017, 11(2): 249–259 H Memona et al.: Species Diversity and … 252 http://jad.tums.ac.ir Published Online: May 27, 2017 excel. Relative Abundance, species richness and evenness of each species of cockroaches was calculated. Diversity of different cock- roach species on the Simpson and Shannon indices was worked out according to Simpson (1949) and Shannon-Weiner function (Odum, 1975). Species relative abundance was com- pared with average monthly temperature and relation between population density and change in temperature was determined. Results Identified species of cockroaches From different types of human dwelling localities 4 species of cockroaches belonging to two families (Blattidea and Blattelidae) were identified during the entire sampling period. 1. American Cockroach (P. americana) They found in sewers and basements es- pecially around pipes and drains. 2. Oriental Cockroach (B. orientalis): They found beneath the mulch, leaf litter, stones and debris outdoors, garbage, filthy materials that is going to decay. 3. German Cockroach (B. germanica): They found in kitchens, storage areas es- pecially where food being prepared or stored. 4. Turkestan Cockroach (B. lateralis): Turkestan cockroaches are native to large area of the Middle East extending from Lib- ya Eastward to Central Asia including Af- ghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and south- ern Russia (Alesho 1997). They were found in compost piles, gardens, potted plants and homes with clay floors. Distribution and abundance of cockroach species From this study it was revealed that B. germanica was the most dominant species belonging to family Blattelidae comprising of 45% of the total catch followed by P. americana (35%) belonging to family Blat- tidae. These two species comprises 80% of the total specimens collected. Other two spe- cies include B. orientalis (9%) and B. lateralis (11%) of the total specimen trapped. These findings are compatible with the studies of Sandhu and Sohi (1981). From all the speci- mens captured during study period 62% (8328) specimen were at different nymphal stages, 27% (3626) adult male and adult females are 11% (1479). The number of females was low- er as compared to males in traps because fe- males are less agile and are often hidden in deep crevices, engaged in reproductive ac- tivity. During the first trimester of study (April- June, 2013) the minimum and maximum av- erage temperature was 23.8 °C and 37.6 °C, respectively and relative humidity was 41% (Table 3). The autumn was turning to end and summer was started. This is the most compat- able season of breeding of eggs and nymphs. In this trimester, nymph collection was more prominent as compared to adult males and females. Most dominant species (46.78%) of all catches was B. germanica, followed by P. americana (33.50%) while B. orientalis and B. lateralis are 9.96% and 9.75% respective- ly (Table 2). Diversity indices were worked out for all species found in 20 different sites revealed Shannons index value of -0.51185 and Simpson’s index of diversity was 0.6495. The dominant species of first trimester was B. germanica with a value of 0.218879 (Simp- son index) and -0.15434 (Shannon index). During sampling the higher number of males in food bait traps and sticky traps was not surprising as the males were active predators and roam in search of mates. Females were low in number because they conserve energy for reproduction and found less active and common. One of the many reason is may be the traps were baited with female sex attract- ants which results in maximum male captur- ing in traps. During the second trimester of study (Ju- ly–September, 2013) the minimum and max- imum average temperature was 24.8 °C and 34.1 °C, respectively and relative humidity J Arthropod-Borne Dis, June 2017, 11(2): 249–259 H Memona et al.: Species Diversity and … 253 http://jad.tums.ac.ir Published Online: May 27, 2017 was 74% (Table 3). Summer season was at peak and cockroaches were mostly found in indoor sheltered areas. This is the most fa- vorable season of metamorphosis of nymphs to change into adults. Different species have different life spans and time period to turn nymphs into adults varies among different species. In this trimester, late nymph collec- tion was comparable to adult males and fe- males. More dominant species (44.36%) of all catches B. germanica was followed by P. americana (35.81%) while, B. orientalis and B. lateralis comprised 8.11% and 11.7% re- spectively (Table 2). Diversity indices for this trimester were worked out for all species of cockroaches collected from different sites. Shannons index value (-0.51389) and Simp- sons index of diversity was 0.6547 for this trimester. The dominant species of this period was B. germanica with a value of 0.196748 (Simpson index) and -0.1566 (Shannon index). During sampling the higher number of nymphs of late instar were found. Now they had gone through metamorphosis to change into adults and are ready for reproduction. In most spe- cies time for late instar to turn into females is longer than males. In third trimester of study (October–De- cember, 2013), B. germanica was most dom- inant species (44.62%) followed by P. amer- icana, B. orientalis and B. lateralis respec- tively. Table 2 revealed Shannon index value (-0.51187) and Simpsons index of diversity (0.6521) for all species of cockroaches col- lected from different sites. Both species rich- ness and abundance was significantly lower during colder months of study period. The fourth trimester of study (January- March, 2014) Shannon index value was - 0.52419 and Simpsons index of diversity was 0.6687. Most dominant species B. ger- manica (40.82%) was followed by P. ameri- cana (37.02%) and B. orientalis and B. lat- eralis comprise 7.17% and 14.97% respec- tively (Table 2). Overall species evenness and richness was found higher in second tri- mester of study (July–September, 2013). Previous studies described P. americana and B. orientalis as outdoor species of cock- roaches but they can intrude into indoor en- vironment through severage pipes and crev- ices in harsh seasons. While B. germanica and B. lateralis always found in indoor envi- ronment (Rust and Reierson 2007, Jeffery et al. 2012). Residential areas and hospitals are mostly infected with B. germanica. P. amer- icana approaches to outdoor environment through sewerage pipes and holes. As B. orientalis and B. lateralis are morpholog- ically similar but their colony can be identified by male members. Houses and hospitals are highly infested with P. americana and B. germanica as compared to offices, shopping mall and institutes, whereas B. orientalis is commonly found in houses and institutes fol- lowed by shopping malls. Distribution of B. lateralis is most common in institutes, hous- es and offices with basements and gardens. Table 1. Global Positioning System location of study sites in urban areas of Lahore, Pakistan Serial. Number Study site Latitude Longitude 1 Punjab Institute of Cardiology 31°32'18.48"N =31.5384667 74°20'9.28"E =74.3359111 2 Mayo Hospital 31°34'18.06"N =31.5716833 74°18'57.04"E =74.3158444 3 Shaikh Zayed Hospital 31°30'29.82"N =31.5082833 74°18'30.17"E =74.3083806 4 Jinnah Hospital 31°29'3.93"N =31.484425 74°17'48.40"E =74.2967778 5 General Hospital 31°27'17.46"N =31.45485 74°21'0.94"E =74.3502611 6 Swera departmental store 31°25'54.81"=31.4318917 74°17'11.38"=74.2864944 7 Metro cash & carry 31°29'34.65"N =31.4929583 74°25'1.57"E =74.4171028 8 Hyperstar 31°32'5.69"N =31.5349139 74°21'47.79"E =74.363275 9 LCWU, Lahore 31°32'41.85"N =31.5449583 74°19'37.97"E =74.3272028 J Arthropod-Borne Dis, June 2017, 11(2): 249–259 H Memona et al.: Species Diversity and … 254 http://jad.tums.ac.ir Published Online: May 27, 2017 10 Punjab University, Lahore 31°29'44.24"N =31.4956222 74°17'39.17"E =74.2942139 11 UVAS, Lahore 31°34'29.03"N =31.5747306 74°17'57.48"E =74.2993 12 GCU, Lahore 31°34'22.14"N =31.5728167 74°18'29.22"E =74.3081167 13 Passco office 31°33'36.68"N =31.5601889 74°19'56.62"E =74.3323944 14 Mughalpura 31°33'46.53"N =31.562925 74°22'49.35"E =74.380375 15 Model town 31°28'37.18"N =31.4769944 74°19'44.66"E =74.3290722 16 Shadman 31°32'14.97"N = 31.5374917 74°19'50.76"E = 74.3307667 17 Shalamar town 31°35'12.47"N = 31.5867972 74°22'55.29"E = 74.382025 18 Maraghzaar colony 31°29'44.24"N =31.553326 74°17'39.17"E =74.305122 19 Johar town 31°27'43.38"N = 31.46205 74°17'38.90"E = 74.2941389 20 Jallo town 31°35'47.57"N = 31.5965472 74°29'57.97"E = 74.4994361 Table 2. Diversity indices of different cockroach species collected from April 2013– March 2014 Trimester Species No. of Cockroaches Percentage % Relative abundance Pi Shannon index Pi (lnPi) Simpson index Pi2XS Species Evenness (S) H/logS 1st P. americana 1573 33.50 0.3349 -0.15911 0.112202 -0.51185/0.60206 = -0.85016 B. germanica 2197 46.78 0.4678 -0.15434 0.218879 B. orientalis 468 9.96 0.0996 -0.09981 0.009932 B. lateralis 458 9.75 0.0975 -0.09859 0.009512 Total 4696 H= - 0.51185 D= 0.3505, 1-D= 0.6495 2nd P. americana 2123 35.81 0.358191 -0.15971 0.128301 -0.51389/0.60206 = -0.85355 B. germanica 2629 44.36 0.443563 -0.1566 0.196748 B. orientalis 481 8.11 0.081154 -0.08851 0.006586 B. lateralis 694 11.7 0.117091 -0.10907 0.01371 Total 5927 H= - 0.51389 D= 0.3453, 1-D= 0.6547 3rd P. americana 671 36.03 0.360365 -0.15973 0.129863 -0.51187/0.60206 = -0.85019 B. germanica 831 44.62 0.446294 -0.15637 0.199179 B. orientalis 162 8.70 0.087003 -0.09226 0.00757 B. lateralis 198 10.63 0.106337 -0.1035 0.011308 Total 1862 H= - 0.51187 D= 0.3479, 1-D= 0.6521 4th P. americana 351 37.02 0.370253 -0.15976 0.137087 -0.50419/0.60206 = -0.84066 B. germanica 387 40.82 0.408228 -0.15884 0.16665 B. orientalis 68 7.17 0.07173 -0.08208 0.005145 B. lateralis 142 14.97 0.149789 -0.1235 0.022437 Total 948 H= - 0.50419 D= 0.4313, 1-D= 0.5687 Table 1. Continued… J Arthropod-Borne Dis, June 2017, 11(2): 249–259 H Memona et al.: Species Diversity and … 255 http://jad.tums.ac.ir Published Online: May 27, 2017 Table 3. Trimester average temperature (minimum and maximum and relative percentage of humidity recorded from April 2013 to March 2014 Trimester Average Temperature °C Average relative humidity % No. of cockroaches trapped Percentage % Minimum Maximum 1st (April-June) 23.8 37.6 41 4696 35 2nd (July–Sep) 24.8 34.1 74 5927 44 3rd (Oct–Dec) 13 26.5 68 1862 14 4th (Jan–March) 9 21.4 68 948 7 Discussion Environmental temperature plays an im- portant role in determining the ability of an or- ganism to survive in a given habitat. If an or- ganism is able to survive in extreme temper- ature (during winter or summer) it will in- creases their likelihood to colonize that habi- tat. When an organism experience high or low temperature in their environment they pro- duce certain proteins called “heat shock pro- teins (HSP)” in their cells which allows recov- ery on a cellular level. These HSP are found in many organisms from bacteria to mam- mals (Lutterschmidt and Hutchison 1997). Organisms have the ability to increase or decrease their core temperature in response to environmental temperatures (Slabber et al. 2007). Certain insects, such as termites, have the ability to acclimate to their environmen- tal temperature (Hu and Appel 2004). Since cockroaches are closely related to termites, they should have the tendency to acclimatize to their environment. Previous studies have shown a positive correlation between the tem- perature sensitivity of many animals includ- ing cockroaches and their environmental tem- perature (Tsuji and Mizumo 1973, Appel et al. 1983, Slabber et al. 2007). In this study, cockroache’s species distri- bution was observed almost all around the year though environmental temperature may effect on distribution of some outdoor species. Cock- roaches are highly adapted for diverse land environment especially dry harsh environment. Cockroaches were not more noticeable in cold months in third and fourth trimester but prob- ably they have physical and behavioral adap- tation which helps them to withstand in ex- treme low temperature on land. This study coincides with the findings of Snoddy and Appel (2008) who conducted a survey in Southern Alabama and Georgia to determine the extent B. asahinai had expanded its range Northward from Florida. They concluded that visual and bucket sample population began increasing in late May and reached their zen- ith in late August or early September. The present study found indoor species of cockroaches including German and Turke- stan cockroach were more prominent in bed- rooms, kitchen, stores, hospital wards, office stores and rooms adjacent to canteen. Their high prevalence in these areas can be related to ideal shady, enriched food and cool envi- ronment which is more favorable to increase their population. Other outdoor species Amer- ican and Oriental cockroaches are outdoor species and found near to sanitary pipes, wash- rooms, filthy habitat, adjacent gardens of houses, sewerage pipes and kitchen exit pipe where plenty food is available. Late nymphs and adults were more numerable in collection site where fewer females were captured. En- vironmental conditions like temperature and humidity also do affect the life cycle and developmental stages of cockroaches. Find- ings of our study are also in conformity to J Arthropod-Borne Dis, June 2017, 11(2): 249–259 H Memona et al.: Species Diversity and … 256 http://jad.tums.ac.ir Published Online: May 27, 2017 Lee et al. (2003) who found that houses were most commonly infested with B. germanica followed by apartments and villas. The infes- tation rate of the cockroaches was related to the residential types. Conclusion Most of the urban areas in district Lahore especially human dwellings are infested with cockroach population. Their presence in hu- man associated environment and species abun- dance pose them a critical threat for human health and indicate poor infrastructure of sanitary and waste disposal. The infestation rate of different species depends on avail- ability of food sources, sanitary and climatic conditions. Cockroach infestation can be con- trolled with knowledge about their biology and behavior, attention to sanitation and ef- fective use of commercial insecticides. Acknowledgements The present work is a part of PhD re- search of the first author. We are gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by the Higher Education Commission, Is- lamabad, Pakistan and facilitation provided by Entomology lab, Department of Zoology, Lahore College For Women University, La- hore for this research. We are also thankful to Urban Pest Management Team for field collection and technical assistance during sampling. The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests. References Abul Hab J (1980) A list of arthropoda of medical and veterinary importance rec- orded from Iraq. Bull Biol Res Cent. 12(1): 9–40. Ahmed A, Minhas K, Namood-e-Sahar, Aftab O, Sher Khan F (2010) In silico iden- tification of potential american cockroach (Periplaneta americana) Allergens. Iran J Public Health. 39(3): 109–115. 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