Boric acid was orally toxic to different instars of Blattella germanica (L.) (Blattodea: Blattellidae) and caused dysbiosis of the, gut microbiota.

Boric acid, a well-established chemical insecticide, has a good control effect on various types of cockroaches. In this study, we investigated the oral virulence effect of boric acid on German cockroach (Blattella germanica) of various instars and characterized its effect on the gut microbiota by high-throughput sequencing technology. The results of an oral toxicity test showed that the toxicity of boric acid was positively correlated with its concentration and negatively correlated with the instar of cockroach nymphs.