Journal of Parasitology – In the article “Calling behavior of male Acheta domesticus crickets infected with Paragordius varius (Nematomorpha: Gordiida),” published in the Journal of Parasitology,
a study was conducted to determine at which stage of a cricket’s life
cycle the introduction of a parasite would affect calling behaviors.
The
parasite–host relationship is complex. For the parasite to survive, it
must manipulate certain innate behaviors of its host, such as the
calling behavior in the male cricket. Calling (or chirping) is a part
the cricket’s natural tendency, which is developed at different stages
of its life. However, this behavior is dangerous and can attract
predators and other parasites, thereby creating an unsafe environment
for an existing parasite to reach maturity.
Two
trials were conducted in which male crickets were exposed to the
horsehair worm parasite. In trial 1, exposure occurred between 1 and 3
days after the crickets developed wings. In trial 2, they were exposed
between 6 and 8 days before wing development.
The
study showed that when crickets were infected with the parasite after
they had developed wings, those that were noncallers did not become
callers. However, when they were infected prior to wing development,
noncallers became callers. Overall, a pattern was observed in which
crickets spent less time calling if they were infected. This finding
shows that even if infection did not stop calling altogether, it did
have a general consequence for cricket behavior.
This
is the first study to show that parasite infections can affect the
calling behavior of their insect host. However, it is yet to be
determined which behaviors are actual side effects of infection. The
full impact of variables such as wing development, female cricket
interaction, and proper nutrition will likely be determined by future
studies.
Full text of the article, “Calling behavior of male Acheta domesticus crickets infected with Paragordius varius (Nematomorpha: Gordiida),” Journal of Parasitology, Vol. 101, No. 4, 2015, is available at http://www.journalofparasitology.org/doi/full/10.1645/15-765.1.
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