Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2025
08:30
Maintaining Laboratory Cultures of Gryllus bimaculatus, a Versatile Orthopteran Model for Insect Agriculture and Invertebrate Physiology
Published on: June 8, 2022
3.2K
Power Bars: Mormon Crickets Get Immunity Boost from Eating Grasshoppers
Robert B Srygley1, David H Branson1
1Pest Management Research Unit, Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, 1500 N. Central Ave., Sidney, MT 59270, USA.
Insects
|November 24, 2023
Summary
Mormon crickets prey on grasshoppers to boost their protein intake and immunity. Increased grasshopper availability enhances Mormon cricket immunocompetence, even as plant nitrogen decreases.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Insect behavior
- Animal physiology
Background:
- Mormon crickets (Anabrus simplex) exhibit predatory behavior on invertebrates, including conspecifics, driven by protein deficiency.
- Protein scarcity in Mormon crickets reduces phenoloxidase (PO) activity, compromising their immune response to pathogens.
- Interactions between Mormon crickets and grasshoppers (Melanoplus borealis) are common due to shared plant resources.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of grasshopper abundance on Mormon cricket diet and immune function.
- To test the hypothesis that predation on grasshoppers provides essential protein for Mormon crickets, thereby enhancing immunity.
Main Methods:
- Field experiment using 68 1-m² cages with varied densities of Mormon crickets (0, 10, 20) and grasshoppers (0, 15, 30, 45).
- Measurement of Mormon cricket dietary preferences and phenoloxidase (PO) activity after one month.
- Assessment of vegetation nitrogen content in relation to insect densities.
Main Results:
- Artificial diet consumption shifted from protein as grasshopper density increased.
- Mormon cricket immunocompetence, indicated by PO activity, positively correlated with grasshopper availability.
- Despite decreased vegetation nitrogen at higher insect densities, predation emerged as a significant protein source.
Conclusions:
- Grasshoppers serve as a crucial source of dietary protein for Mormon crickets.
- Prey availability directly impacts Mormon cricket immunity, highlighting the ecological role of predation in insect health.
Related Concept Videos
02:39Predator-Prey Interactions
16.3K
Predators consume prey for energy. Predators that acquire prey and prey that avoid predation both increase their chances of survival and reproduction (i.e., fitness). Routine predator-prey interactions elicit mutual adaptations that improve predator offenses, such as claws, teeth, and speed, as well as prey defenses, including crypsis, aposematism, and mimicry. Thus, predator-prey interactions resemble an evolutionary arms race.
16.3K
01:47Osmoregulation in Insects
16.2K
Malpighian tubules are specialized structures found in the digestive systems of many arthropods, including most insects, that handle excretion and osmoregulation. The tubules are typically arranged in pairs and have a convoluted structure that increases their surface area.
16.2K
02:40Epiphytes, Parasites, and Carnivores
13.0K
Plants often form mutualistic relationships with soil-dwelling fungi or bacteria to enhance their roots’ nutrient uptake ability. Root-colonizing fungi (e.g., mycorrhizae) increase a plant’s root surface area, which promotes nutrient absorption. While root-colonizing, nitrogen-fixing bacteria (e.g., rhizobia) convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into ammonia (NH3), making nitrogen available to plants for various biological functions. For example, nitrogen is essential for the...
13.0K
01:32What is Natural Selection?
115.4K
Natural selection is an evolutionary process in which individuals with survival-promoting traits reproduce at higher rates. These favorable traits become more common within a population or species. Naturally selected traits initially arise via random genetic mutations. In order for selection to occur, there must be variation within a population, the trait controlling the variation must be heritable, and there must be an evolutionary advantage for variation in the trait.
115.4K