The Effect of Human Urbanization On The Growth and Development of The Acheta Domesticus

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The effect of human

urbanization on the growth and
development of the Acheta
domesticus
Session: January 2014

Candidate Name: WU, Chao L.
IB Subject of Essay: Biology
Supervisor Name: M. Steinert
Word Count: 3766
January 2014
Wu, Chao
The Effect of Human Urbanization on the Growth and Development of the Acheta domesticus
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Abstract
Acheta domesticus are organisms found in a variety of natural and man-made habitats. They have
good tolerance of different temperatures and thus express a good model organism to gauge the
changes to the surrounding environment. The research questions are: What effects does human
interfered environments have on the Acheta domesticus? What do these changes have on the
growth patterns of the insects themselves?
Two week old A. domesticus will be put into different simulated environments. Some specific
tanks will be used to imitate the natural habit for the species while others are created to simulate
man-made areas (e.g. trash filled basements). Temperature, humidity, as well as light exposure
will all be kept at that of that particular environment. Crickets are then observed for their
behavior/growth within their two different environments. Food will be monitored so that crickets
will always have the ability to feed. On average in the wild, it takes about three months at 27 to
32 degrees Celsius before the crickets reach adulthood. These growth patterns within a
population will be monitored by the speed of molts, which a cricket must accomplish in order to
develop (molting involves the shedding of the old exoskeleton), as well as behavioral
observations to see whether the crickets within the human made environments develop
differently than those kept in natural environments. These observations will continue until the
death of the crickets by natural causes. After four months of observation, the data was processed.
Final judgments expressed a 2.1mm increase in size for individuals within human environments
as compared to individuals within wild environments. To contrast; however, individuals within
the simulated man-made environment expressed a shorter lifespan than those kept within the
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simulated natural environment. To conclude, it can be tentatively generalized that human
urbanization can increase cricket size but decrease lifespan.
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Experiment Table of Contents:

2. Abstract
5. Introduction
6. Life Cycle
7. Materials
9. Photography of Setups
9. Procedures
10. Observations of Simulated Natural Environment
13. Observations of Simulated Man-Made Environment
14. Data Collecting/Processing
15. Focus on Natural Habitat
15. Focus on Man-Made Habitat/Conclusion
16. Conclusion
18: Evaluation of Procedures
18. The Importance of Understanding Crickets and Their Behavioral Changes
20. Sources
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Introduction
The Acheta domesticus, known colloquially as the
common house cricket, was once native to southwestern
Asias warm, subtropical environments (Weissman).
Now; however, its popularity both as fish bait and as a
food source for many pet reptiles and amphibians has caused them to be widely bred by humans.
Due to its popularity, the Acheta domesticus has been widely distributed throughout the
biosphere in almost every single continent, barring Antarctica. In the United States where it is
commonly sold alongside mealworms and earthworms as fish bait and animal food. The house
cricket has also been distributed across much of the Eastern United States as feral populations,
adapting to a multitude of different habitats, minus southern Florida (Weissman). Lately, feral
populations are beginning to take hold within the warm, arid chaparral and urbanized areas of
southern California, where it most likely is spreading due to a lack of predation.
Acheta domesticus is a great insect for scientific experiments such as this one due to its
hardiness, relatively fast rate of growth, large spawn numbers, and fairly low pricing for
maintenance. One key aspect that separates the A. domesticus from the majority of North
American cricket species is its lack of a dormancy period (Walker). Without this special
overwintering stage, these crickets crowd around warm buildings, sewage dumps, as well as
enter into human habitation (Weissman) in order to stake out the cold months. This human
association greatly boosts the species possible adaptability to an urbanized world, but we do not
necessarily know of the effects of this action. The majority of the cricket species die out during
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the cold months, leaving only eggs to overwinter, or sit dormant in burrows and hibernate
through the winter. This dormancy period creates a lack of sexual reproductive activity for many
of the native crickets. However, A. domesticus, which lack the dormancy period, may utilize the
time within the warm human habitation to continue reproduction, thus curving an imbalance
within the overall species population. This is why it is a nice candidate for answering what
urbanization has on the species.
Their life cycle begins with the deposition of eggs into damp soil, sand, or peat moss; this step
will simply be skipped in my experiment for the sake of saving time. The experiment calls for
two week old crickets. Following their breakout from the eggs, Acheta domesticus will continue
to eat and develop. Eating, and more importantly food, is of importance if the cricket is to
successfully mature in a timely manner (before winter sets in). Experiments have already been
done where the crickets will have slowed growth if a lack of food is present. Bypassing this, the
environments themselves will be focused upon for the duration of the observation. By using the
same offerings for both the natural and the human made simulated habitats, one will not have to
worry about an extra variable which can potentially skew data. Ultimately, results from the
experiment can determine whether urbanization will help or harm the species.
Life Cycle
The majority of this observation will be during the nymphal stage of the Acheta domesticus. It is
within this particular stage that one can see the largest amount of growth and change within the
organism. Once a cricket becomes an adult, it is much harder to judge change for it will be more
apt at trying to breed than to feed and interact with its environment, simulated or not. During this
period of growth, as mentioned before, the nymph will go through well over five molts before
reaching adulthood (Weissman). This period of time is perfect for observing the crickets
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development through gradual differences within the set habitats. These changes are most
apparent towards the beginning of their life cycle, where molts may only be within one to two
weeks of each other (Hallett). Nearing the end of the molts, the crickets will begin to slowdown in
growth and eating in preparation for their last molt. They will then begin final development of their
sexual organs within their penultimate instar.
Each group of crickets will be monitored for changes as well as molting rate, which is the key
factor in identifying developmental patterns. These patterns will then be used to view specific
insects within their environment, and whether the habitat and sex of the organism have any
correlation to developmental alterations. These differences will then be tied back to the effects of
human urbanization changes on the species as a whole.
Materials:
100 Acheta domesticus crickets of two weeks

old (obtainable from pet shops, herpetological
stores, and fish bait dealers).
Two ten - gallon tanks (or plastic tubs) with

ventilated lids (One will be used for the
simulated natural environment while the other
for the simulated man-made environment)
Peat Moss (Enough to give two inches of substrate for one of the two ten gallon tanks and
one inch for the other)
Dried sphagnum moss (for holding moisture)
Large branches (for climbing)
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English Ivy or some other kind of vine that can survive in relatively low light (Ivy used
for this experiment in small amounts)
Egg cartons
Newspapers
Cardboard tubes from paper towel rolls (optional)
Carrots (Should be able to be replenished twice a week)
Dandelion Leaves (Ensure that there are no pesticides)
Leaf litter (optional and not used for one tank in this experimentation)
Trash items such as cut open plastic water bottles, old pieces of cardboard, glass and
paper waste (ensure that there are no contact with chemicals)
A basement room with controlled temperature at 27 degrees Celsius and a room with the
temperature of the outside world (Such as a deck or patio)
One dozen earthworms (Obtained from a store which sell bait for fishing)
Two dozen pillbugs (Ensure that they are collected from an area without exposure to
chemicals and pesticides) (For complete chemical safety, they can also be bought from
stores)
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Photographs of My Setups
Procedures
1. Start by layering the peat moss (one inch for man-made and two inches for natural)
2. Place the branches into the tank designated for natural
3. Place sphagnum moss on top of the peat moss (Moisture holder)
4. Add a 500mL of water and mix up substrate until moist.
5. Add decorations such as the branches and ivy to make it look more natural
6. Put in the earthworms and pillbugs into the natural tank and wait at least two days for the
creatures to settle in before adding food and crickets
7. Do not moisten the man-made tank. Instead, add the substrate and the trash items
along with the cardboard tubes and other materials to simulate a cluttered basement
environment.
8. Set the man-made into a basement area and the natural in a porch or some other area
directly affected by outside temperatures
9. Wait two days.
10. Add the carrots and dandelion leaves and then add the crickets directly afterwards
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11. Observe daily, record daily and add new carrots and dandelion leaves two to three times a
week depending on cricket activity (ensure there is always a supply of food)
12. Watch for signs of growth within the crickets. A lack of feeding means that they are ready
to molt and grow.
13. Keep notes and observations until the crickets die off of old age
Observations of Individuals within the Simulated Natural Habitat

Week 1:
Approximately three dozen of the small sized crickets were added into the ten- gallon enclosure
for the natural habitat. Due to a space restraint, I will be initializing the two separate contains at
different times. The crickets entered the enclosure and soon began to settle down. Some
individuals began looking for natural hiding places behind the logs while other individuals began
crawling about looking for food. It took less than five minutes before the majority have found the
leaves with which to feed upon. After the initial twenty minutes of feeding and grooming, the
majority of the house crickets began to climb into and around the branches and plants which line
their enclosures. Others begin obtaining moisture from the sphagnum moss which lines the
bottom of the tank. So far, no mortalities have occurred. It will most likely be a few days before
they start molting and growing. For the next few days, the crickets experienced relaxed
composure and fed well alongside the pillbugs and earthworms within the enclosure. There is
some competition between these two other species and some crickets have to often chase away
others in order to obtain food. This went on for a few days until the end of week one. Only about
two individuals, most likely the individuals who obtain the largest amount of food, molted.
Week 2:
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Competition between both crickets as well as their tank mates rose for many of the growing
crickets began a search for food. Though I ensured that there will always be enough dandelion
leaves for the A. domesticus and other organisms to feed on, the natural tendency for the species
to quarrel can easily been seen. Dominance between larger individuals over the smaller ones can
be viewed. They now were more active during the dusk and midnight hours as the individuals all
had a basic understanding of their environment. By the end of week two, about 95% of the
individuals have had molted. This can only be approximated due to the fact that the enclosure is
large and crickets may devour their own exoskeleton after they molt (Hallett).
Week 3:
As the majority of the crickets become larger, they began to become irregular with their feeding
schedule. Larger individuals with higher dominance will tend to feed during the late afternoon
hours when the majority of the earthworm and pillbugs competitors are hiding. Smaller
individuals tend to feed only late at night when the dominant individuals are resting. This forces
the smaller individuals to compete face to face with the pillbugs. In fact, there have been many
instances of the smaller crickets trying to push off the pillbugs, but to little or no avail. From the
size, few if any individuals molted this week.
Week 4:
More growth and development, the crickets are showing signs of gaining coloration and adult
characteristics. Adulthood is shown by the darkening of eyes, limbs, and the beginning signs of
increased activity. Likewise, they are now about one third of the way through their life cycle. A
few more molts and they should reach their penultimate size to be sexed.
Week 5-10
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During weeks 5-10, the majority of the crickets only ate and grew in size. None of them
experienced anything unusual or anything out of the ordinary. The majority now is feeding out of
schedule but continues to compete with pillbugs for the same sustenance. Those individuals
which were smaller continued to stay small and their growth are often slower than the larger
individuals. In the end, it can be assumed that this simply is just natural selection at work (Unlike
nature however, there is enough food to go around even for the small individuals which in the
wild would have been dead due to a lack of nourishment).
Week 12
The majority are now at the penultimate stage of their lives, which means one more molt before
becoming adults. At this time, many have also started to camp and not feed - a sign that they are
about to mature into adults. Some of the smaller individuals, which grew at a slower pace due to
competition, take this opportunity to feed.
Week 13
By week 13, about 80 percent of the crickets have become adult. Many have just been freshly
molted at this stage and are still waiting to dry completely. Some were removed and separated
for observation. Generally, they tend to be docile but many are still jumpy. It seems as though the
majority of the males matured earlier than the females and were already starting to call by the
time the females were ready to mate.
Week 18
All the crickets have now died of old age. A few of the specimens will be stored in 70%
isopropyl alcohol for measurement.
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Observations of Individuals within Simulated Man-made Habitat

Week 1
Crickets put into the man-made enclosure to simulate an indoor environment. Individuals
scattered in search of food and hiding spots.
Week 2-8
Similar to the events which occurred in those individuals kept in the natural environment.
However, due to the controlled heat, about 90% of the crickets are maturing at a much faster rate
than those within the natural habitat, which had a day/night cycle that limited activity.
Week 9
Many crickets have stopped feeding and are beginning to prepare to mature (fasting helps slim
body and thus aid in molting). At this point, many began to hide under pieces of paper and egg
carton to clean them and prepare of eclosing (molting).
Week 10
About 85% of them matured into adults. Similar to the other experimentation, about 90% of the
individuals that matured first are males. Males are removed to prevent injury to females who are
still in the process of molting. After two days, the majority of the females has molted also and is
beginning to harden and dry. Some of the females wings did not fold correctly after breeding but
the individual still survived without any health issues.ll
Week 15
All the crickets have now died of old age. A few of the specimens will be stored in 70%
isopropyl alcohol for measurement.
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Data Collecting and Processing
16
19
18
17
18
21
17
Cric
kets
for
Man
Mad
e
Size
(mm
)
19
17
20
17
17
18
21
18
19
16
20
16
18
17
18
17
18
17
20
16
18
17
18
18
17
18
19
16
19
17
19
16
18
19
18
16
19
17
21
18
19
16
20
16
19
17
21
16
19
17
20
16
21
17
21
16
20
16
21
16
21
17
20
18
21
17
21
17
20
18
21
17
21
18
21
16
21
17
20
19
20
19
20
17
21
17
19
17
20
17
19
18
20
17
19
16
19
18
18
18
19
17
18
18
18
16
17
18
18
17
19
20
20
16
18
18
17
17
18
20
21
16
18
18
17
17
18
16
20
16
18
17
17
18
17
16
21
17
18
16
18
18
17
21
17
19
16
19
18
20
18
19
18
18
18
21
16
19
17
18
18
20
17
19
18
19
16
19
16
20
18
18
16
20
17
20
18
17
16
18
Cricket
s for
Natural
Cricket
s for
Man
Made
Cricket
s for
Natural
Crickets
for Man
Made
Size
(mm)
Size
(mm)
Size
(mm)
Size
(mm)
Cricket
s for
Natural
Cricket
s for
Man
Made
Crickets
for
Natural
Size
(mm)
Size
(mm)
Size
(mm)
(Accuracy +/- 0.5mm)
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It is important to ensure that measurements of the crickets are from the head to the end of the tip
of the abdomen. Do not include the legs within the measurements.
Focus on the Natural Habitat:
It appears that crickets in the natural environment showed slower maturation as well as decreased
size. The altering temperatures, lighting, as well as competition with other organisms have made
the species take longer to reach its penultimate molt. This extended period represents how wild
A. domesticus will take longer to mature. Judging from the data, it appears that wild populations
lifespans may also be longer than those living within man-made habitat (longer maturation time
resulting in longer lifespan). Vice versa, as a rule of thumb, early maturation equals early death.
Focus on the Man-Made Habitat:
Crickets living within the simulated Man-made habitat expressed a faster growth rate than those
within the simulated natural habitat. Individuals grew at a pace 25% faster than that of the
average within the natural habitat. Temperatures were stable at the 27 degree range and humidity
was at 65%, 20% higher than the average of the outside at 54%. No other organisms were in the
environment to compete with the crickets (Dry earth and open ground cannot support pillbugs).
Due to this, the crickets only needed to compete with each other. Judging by the data, it appears
that populations living within urban environments, especially unfinished basements, exhibited
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shorter lifespans that those living within the wild. Shorter maturation time meant faster death for
the crickets. However,
they did grow a few
millimeters larger than
those within the
simulated human environment.
Conclusion
The experimentation concluded during the final growth phases of the crickets, through three
months to adulthood, expressed some unique results. To answer the question on what effects
urbanization has one crickets, one interesting characteristic which differentiated those grown in
the temperature constant, man-made environment from those which grew up within a more
naturalistic setting is the individual size difference. Assuming the decrease in competition
between snails, earthworms, and pillbugs, there is good confirmation that having a limitless food
supply, stable temperatures and zero competition has increased the differences in size of the
crickets as shown within the collected data. Crickets grown in simulated natural only grew to
having an average of 17.1mm while crickets grown in simulated man-made had an average size
of 19.2mm. Differentiation in size is one aspect; speed of growth is another. Crickets raised in a
more stable environment allowed for a balanced growth pattern. Without the natural changes in
temperatures, the A. domesticus managed to feed, grow and move even during colder days. To
simulate natural changes in temperature, the crickets living in the natural habitat were put in an
area in which the temperature changed according to the temperature outside. This temperature
change switched between highs of up to 90 degrees and lows down to the 60s. The rapid
reciprocal temperatures have caused the cold blooded crickets to search for food only when the
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temperature is high. When there is a drop in temperature during the night, or even during the
mornings, crickets are sluggish and are only limited to perching on logs in order to bask and raise
their bodily activities. However, those who lived in the basement, with its stable 78-80 degrees
range, have grown at a constant rate over time. Not only is this so, the crickets have also shown
size differences. The stable environment, as well as zero competition, has allowed them to gain
extra nutrients from the litter around their home. Overall, crickets resulted positively to the
surroundings and only seven within the natural and six within the man-made environments died
before maturation.
With all these data points and variables in mind, it is certain to say that human urbanization has
affected A. domesticus in unique ways. First, A. domesticus has increased the growth rate by
approximately three weeks, thus allowing for faster maturation of the species. Secondly, it has
increased the average size of the individuals living in human habitation. Lastly, it appears, using
my experimental data that males of the species seemed to have increased their growth rate,
breaching the final molt of the females kept in the same environment by well over two days. Not
only does it express that urbanization and human altercations have created changes within the
life and growth cycles of the crickets, but also that human interference has created a group of
Acheta domesticus with a larger average size. Though their lifespans were limited and shortened,
the crickets living inside human habitation, along with their larger size, may help them avoid
predators, escape the cold, while still continuing to prosper away from danger. Thus, while
human urbanization has caused death, destruction, and extinction within thousands of species, it
has fueled success within the small organism that is of the Acheta domesticus.
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Evaluation of Procedures
Though data within the experimentation is pushed to ensure accuracy, some limitations did
occur. The lack of predation, as well as competition within the man-made environment is only
best considered to be simulated to an extent. In actual basements and man-made buildings, there
are most likely different species of spider, such as the ever common wolf spiders, to act as
predator to the crickets, as well as other species
of insects like cockroaches which compete with
them also. Similarly, testing only A. domesticus
and no other species greatly limits the accuracy
of the experimentation. While A. domesticus
certainly is a great organism, other species of
Hogna carolinensis is a predator of crickets in
basements.
crickets may react differently. To add on, even A.
domesticus may respond differently in different States and locations around the world. The
difference in body size may also be contributed to negative factors such as genetics and rearing.
Due to the large gene pools of insects, it is hard to completely avoid bad traits despite selective
breeding. As with any experiment, more trials with different crickets obtained for different
locations may help further yield different results.
The Importance of Understanding Crickets and Their Behavioral Changes
Biology is much greater than just looking at diversity. With increased human activity, habitat
destruction, pollution, and human urbanization, many species of animals are pushed to the
Limits of [their] Endurance (Attenborough - Life of Birds 1998). Usually, people see the
downfall of the apex predators as a first sign of change. However, not every single person has the
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ability to work with large apex predators. Instead, it may be more economically friendly and
more accessible to just observe not what is at the top of the food web, but what is at the bottom.
By viewing the data recorded from arthropods and other organisms at the bottom, scientists,
students and scholars are further able identify what is occurring at the top. This economically
friendly and less stressful method can allow for great development within biology, which will
help humans better understand the planet, its strengths and its weaknesses. David Attenborough,
one of the most well-known BBC presenters of natural history, described this necessity at the end
of his last episode of the TV series, The Life of Birds. However, the concept, if switched from
birds, applies also to the many ignored organisms of the undergrowth: Arthropods once ran as
apex predators on the land, the air, and even deep, blue oceans. Now, humans have taken over the
land, the sea and the skies. With skill, and care, and knowledge, (Attenborough 1998) we can
ensure that arthropods can still have a natural place within this planet, in all their beauty and
variety. If we want to; and surely, we should (Attenborough 1998).
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Sources:
Adamo, S.A. and Hoy, R. R. 1995. Agonistic behavior in male and female field crickets,
Gryllus bimaculatus, and how behavioral context influences its expression. Animal
Behavior 49, 1491-1501.
Alexander, R.D. 1961. Aggressiveness, territoriality, and sexual behaviour in field crickets
(Orthoptera: Gryllidae). Behaviour 17:130-223.
Enquist, M. & Leimar, O. 1987. Evolution of fighting behaviour: the effect of variation in
resource value. Journal of Theoretical Biology 127:187205.
Hallett I. (December 2009). Breeding and raising the house cricket. Herp and Green Iguana
Information Collection. <http://www.anapsid.org/crickets.html>. (29 July 2011).
Hofmann, H.A. and Schildberger, K. 2001. Assessment of strength and willingness to fight
during aggressive encounters in crickets. Animal Behavior 62:337-348.
Jang, Y., Gerhardt H.C., and Choe, J.C. 2008. A comparative study of aggressiveness in
eastern North American field cricket species (genus Gryllus). Behavioral Ecology &
Sociobiology 62:1397-1407.
Just, W. and Morris, M.R. 2003. The Napoleon complex: why smaller males pick fights.
Evolutionary Ecology 17:509-522.
"Life Cycle of Grasshoppers."Agriculture Western Australia. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.
<http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/objtwr/importe >
McLeod, Robin. "Species Acheta domesticus - House Cricket."Welcome to BugGuide.Net!

BugGuide.Net. Version 1. Bugguide, 25 Nov. 2009. Web. 18 Dec. 2014.
<http://bugguide.net/node/view/31207>.
Wu 21
Walker, Thomas. "house cricket - Acheta domesticus (Linnaeus)."house cricket - Acheta
domesticus (Linnaeus). Version 1. University of Florida, n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2014.
<http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc>
Walker TJ. (2011). House cricket, Acheta domesticus (Linnaeus 1758). Singing Insects of North
America. <http://entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/walker/Buzz/487a.htm>. (29 July 2011).

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Wu 1

The effect of human

Session: January 2014

Experiment Table of Contents:

100 Acheta domesticus crickets of two weeks

Two ten - gallon tanks (or plastic tubs) with

Dried sphagnum moss (for holding moisture)

Large branches (for climbing)

Cardboard tubes from paper towel rolls (optional)

Carrots (Should be able to be replenished twice a week)

Dandelion Leaves (Ensure that there are no pesticides)

Observations of Individuals within the Simulated Natural Habitat

Observations of Individuals within Simulated Man-made Habitat

Data Collecting and Processing

(Accuracy +/- 0.5mm)

crickets may react differently. To add on, even A.

McLeod, Robin. "Species Acheta domesticus - House Cricket."Welcome to BugGuide.Net!

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