Shelley A.

Adamo*, Ilya Kovalko and

Brianna Mosher

The behavioural effects of predator-
induced stress responses in the
cricket
(Gryllus texensis): the upside of the
stress response

Presented by Tara Filsuf, Spring 2014
Why study a crickets stress response?
Understand ecological relationships
Understand physiological process of stress
Interesting experiment to watch
VS
Background
In insects, the stress response begins with the
release of octopamine.
Costs and benefits
+ evade predator and live to reproduce
reduced reproduction, energetically costly,
reduced disease resistance

Our questions
How do crickets respond to stress?

Does octopamine help crickets evade
predators?
Experiment 1: The Maze
Cricket groups:
1. Model predator exposed
2. Sham exposed
3. Octopamine injected
4. Sham injected
5. Control
Measurements:
1. How long crickets were motionless
2. How much time they were in motion
3. How much time they were covered
Experiment 2: The Cage Match
Measurements:
1. First cricket to be eaten
2. First cricket to enter
shelter

Gryllus texensis Pogona vitticeps
Results
The Maze The Cage Match
Conclusions
Cricket stress response is a hierarchy
Freeze in low-moderate stress to avoid detection
Flee during imminent attack
Stress response is a continuum
Sham controls had intermediate responses
Octopamine injection and mock predator
exposure increased behavioral styles in maze
and increased predator survival in cage.
Octopamine does cause stress response.
Final Opinions
Strengths:
Detailed behavioral observations
Good statistical methods
Two experiments confirm each others results
Weaknesses:
Explained WHAT happens and WHY but not HOW
Works Cited
Information:
-The behavioural effects of predator-induced stress responses in the cricket (Gryllus
texensis): the upside of the stress response.
Adamo SA, Kovalko I, Mosher B. J Exp Biol. 2013 Dec 15;216(Pt 24):4608-14.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopamine
Images:
http://miracleofnature.org/guides/our-insect-musicians/crickets/southeastern-field-
cricket
http://beardeddragoncages.org/learn-how-to-choose-bearded-dragon-cages
http://www.piranhagear.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525
d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/3/5/35-1-622-rd-e-m.jpg
http://cdn.trendhunterstatic.com/thumbs/zhu-zhu-pets.jpeg
https://www.songbirdgarden.com/store/ProdImages/SingleCricket.jpg
http://www.beardeddragonblog.com/wp-
content/uploads/2013/10/beardeddragondiet1.jpg
http://i1.wp.com/pgoaamericanprofile2.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/what-is-a-
bearded-dragon.jpg?crop=144px,0px,1243px,749px