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

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Abstract
Experiments were performed to determine the effects of population density and food surface area on individual size (wet weight) of the house cricket, A. domesticus. Three initial population densities (50, 200 and 400 hoppers/microcosm) were used to study the effects of population density, 3 food surface areas (1, 2 and 3 petri dishes, 9.0 cm in diameter) were used to assess the effects of food surface area, and each treatment was replicated with 3 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; 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.

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