cricket mutation?

[dtknow]

I have seen those crickets before. You are right, the chirp is little more than a scratching now. This was when I was young and doing some little science fair project...but they pop up every so often.

It'll be interesting to see what happens-but I wonder if fertility problems may arise.

 

[Galapoheros]

So far I've found 11 of the oompa loompa crickets, I'm going to set up a small container today. Yeah that was brought up earlier, the fertility thing, just have to wait and see, still haven't had a female mature yet. I hope the females have short wings so that they can't fly. The normal ones can hop and fly, at least a little. One flew out while I was next to the container that has 1000s in it, I would too. Man I have too much going on over here, I'm going to have to sell some things.

 

[Malhavoc's]

Out of curiousity, has the idea of a parasite/virus been thought of, something thats effecting development?

 

[Galapoheros]

I guess it could be, it barely crossed my mind. It's that the features are the same on them all, not random things so I was leaning genetic. The first female of these matured today, a mal-formed ovipositor, I don't think that will work.

 

[Galapoheros]

It's been a generation or two, don't really know, but the noise and jump challenged crickets have produced more of the same. All have had short wings, mostly short legs that I've seen so far. I did not think the wings would produce any sound at all but like dtknow said, there is a really quiet sound when they try. I'm going to set up these, but going to keep the regs going also.

 

[Alejandro45]

This is excellent..I really love roaches as a group but for feeders crickets are far better. Keep up the good work Galapoheros! My bet is you could sell them all off for a MINT to timberline or ghanns whom ever pays the highest.

 

[Galapoheros]

Hmm I don't know, I may have to keep them for myself, mostly because there seems to be an ID issue though they sell them in some pet stores, that's where I got them but they don't have any now.

btw I tested them, chased them on the rug. They are mostly runners, only hopping 3 or 4 inches now and then. The norms look like they can hop between 1 and 2 feet.

 

[Introvertebrate]

You may recall that Ghann's switched from Acheta domesticus to the virus free Gryllus assimilis. Well, it turns out that they were getting slower growth times and lower yields with G. assimilis, so now they're switching to yet a third species. The "Banded Cricket" or Gryllodes sigillatus.

http://www.ghann.com/new_crickets.cfm

 

[Galapoheros]

I remember, I think I understand the "lower yield" aspect. If you don't feed them pretty regularly, they have no prob eating each other so it looks like they start to disappear, low yield on a commercial end, for some. I feed these every day, they eat a lot but the best feeder I've raised, personally. Here's the container, hard to believe but it only smells like musty dirt in there. Crix are kind of interesting to watch, they are pretty savvy for an insect imo. When they come in contact with a T, scorpion, centipede, etc. they know it's bad news, backing up like a cautious mammal. Sometimes they will try to find the highest spot in the cage to sit and watch out for that monster.

 

[bizzely]

Where did you get them? Would you sell some? i've been looking every where for a larger feeder cricket bu no one has them any more or wont ship to PA!

 

[Tleilaxu]

Those are the Jamaican Field cricket gryllus assimils. Be careful these are rather nasty.

 

[VictorHernandez]

I got some strange crickets like that today.

 

[Galapoheros]

Those are the Jamaican Field cricket gryllus assimils. Be careful these are rather nasty.

That article is a little dramatic ime/imo. I do agree that responsible feeding means taking out any crickets that are not eaten, domesticus also, and these to have bigger jaws. I think that's the only big problem, that is letting uneaten feeders roam around, they will get hungry and start trying to take a bite of things, seen that happen. But other than that, when feeding lizards and inverts; tarantulas, vinegarones and scorpions, I've never seen a problem. Centipedes can have some problems because the crickets, along with domesticus, tend to turn around and kick, some centipedes experience that and learn to avoid crickets(apparently I should say) unless they are really hungry so I try to remember to take off the spiky leg segment first for centipedes.

 

[bugmankeith]

Why in the article do they say the house cricket is near extinction, all of mine are healthy if kept in proper conditions, I've seen them survive outside in the summer and in my basement all year if they escape, they are tough!

 

[Introvertebrate]

Those are the Jamaican Field cricket gryllus assimils. Be careful these are rather nasty.

Nope. Crazy Reds (Gryllus locorojo) are the nasty ones