Food deprivation and aggression in male house crickets Ema Rubignoni, Joy Santiago & Kevin Thibeault

Overview Rationale Predictions Protocol & method Results Discussion & Conclusions Acknowledgements http://www.chinaculturecenter.org/photo/phototitle/240.jpg http://www.allexterminatingga.com/images/large/house_crickets.jpg

Rationale http://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/24438.jpg Motivational asymmetry Risk-taking Aggression House Cricket acheta domesticus

Predictions  deprivation = aggression Small, deprived males will show more aggression Small, deprived males will have longer proportions of time spent in aggression. Small, deprived males will have shorter aggression latencies http://www.kreca.com/html/UK/krekels_uk.htm

Protocol & Method Separate males and females

Protocol & Method Measure males via jumping thighs Population cages of 10

Protocol & Method Deprive for two days Water crystals Fish food

Protocol & Method 20 SMALL DEPRIVED 20 SMALL NON-DEPRIVED 20 Large male (non-deprived) 20 Large male (non-deprived)

Protocol & Method Set up blind study

Protocol & Method Record aggression – 15 min. trials

Protocol & Method Aggression latency Aggression bouts Proportion of time being aggressive Types of behavior Antennae wag Chirping Kicking (back legs) Pushing (front legs) All in seconds

Protocol & Method Amount of Aggression Chi Square Aggression Latency T-test (one-tail) Proportion of time spent in Aggression T-test (one-tail) http://enobj.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/1890488_998004.jpg

Results Recap: Prediction 1: Amount of Aggression Small, deprived males will show more aggression. Prediction 2: Proportion aggression Small, deprived males will show longer proportions of time spent in aggression. Prediction 3: Aggression Latency Small, deprived males will show shorter aggression latencies.

Results Amount of Aggression No significant difference in amount of aggression between Deprived and Non-Deprived groups. P = 0.0583; X22=3.84, NS

Results Proportion of aggression No significant difference in proportion of aggression between Deprived and Non-Deprived groups. t=0.168, p>0.05

Results Aggression Latency Deprived crickets had shorter aggression latencies than Non-Deprived crickets. t=-2.01, p<0.05

Discussion & Conclusions Exhaustion Age Sample size Handling

Acknowledgements Thank you Dr. Reuven Dukas Summer Rozzi Zac Durisko

Questions?