Acheta Domesticus Essay

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Known pests, the house cricket, Acheta domesticus seem to have originated in Southeast Asia; they can be found in Asia, North Africa, Europe, and southern Canada, from British Columbia to Newfoundland, down to Mexico due to human introductions (Espace pour la vie n.d.). A. domesticus can be spotted in warm and moist regions of homes and buildings like fireplaces, and kitchen water heaters; They can also be found in fields, pastors and meadows, and are known agricultural pests (Zungoli 1998). They can be also be identified in moist areas like mulch, tall grass, and weeds; rocks, bricks, and wood piles are also areas where they can be spotted. A. domesticus prefer dark regions to reside (Zungoli 1998). A. domesticus’ mode of locomotion involves jumping and running (Lachenicht 2010). It is a land organism. Jumping for the A. domesticus has been possible by the the evolution of long hind limbs that use muscle contractions that can allow it to jump forward for around 17.8 cm or 10 times its body length (Lepore 2013). A. domesticus can have running speeds of around 1.3 m/s (Lepore 2013). Its jumping distance allows A. domesticus to avoid predation from animals like mice and lizards, and the running speed is important for prey capture (smaller insects) and foraging; increased performance in either of these traits has been positively correlated with better fitness (Lachenicht 2010; Bateman 2006). These locomotory traits are essential for feeding, …show more content…

domesticus will be examined through a series of experiments. It is predicted that in higher temperatures, the jumping distance and running speed of A. domesticus would be much higher than in lower temperatures because the higher metabolic efficiency allows a greater amount of energy production, which in turn boosts the muscle activity of the organism. This increases in muscle activity should allow more efficient locomotion for A.

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