The effects of population density and food surface area on body weight of Acheta domesticus (L.) (Orthoptera: Gryllidae)

Abstract

Experiments were performed to determine the effects of population density and food surface area on individual size (wet weight) of the house cricket, Acheta domesticus (L.). Three initial population densities (50, 200, and 400 hoppers per microcosm) were used to study the effects of population density, three food surface areas (one, two, and three petri dishes, 9.0 cm in diameter) were used to assess the effects of food surface area, and each treatment was replicated with three populations. Mortality increased and individual weight (at 53 days) decreased with increasing density. Both percentage survivorship and mean body weight increased with increasing food surface area. In both sets of experiments the mean size of emerging adults (0–24 h) decreased with increasing nymphal development time, and nymphal development time increased with increasing density and decreasing food surface area. On a daily comparison the mean size of emerging adults of both sexes decreased with increasing density, and the mean size of females increased with decreasing food surface area.