The effects of rearing density on growth, survival, and starvation resistance of the house cricket Acheta domesticus

Abstract

Alternative food sources have become an important focus of research due to increased food demand coupled with reductions in traditional food productivity. In particular, substitutes for protein sources have been of increasing interest due to the unsustainability of traditional protein sources. Insects have been identified as a sustainable alternative to traditional protein sources, as they are easy to produce and contain essential proteins, fats, and minerals. However, mass-rearing insects requires similar considerations as farming traditional protein sources. To increase productively, growth and survival must be maximized at the highest possible densities while minimizing disease and food requirements. Here, we use the house cricket Acheta domesticus, a highly cultivated insect species, to investigate optimal densities for mass rearing at 14 days of age (4th instar). Nymphs were separated into density groups of 0.09, 0.19, 0.47, and 0.93 cricket/cm2 and monitored for growth and survival. Multiple regression revealed sex (p < 0.0001), density (p < 0.0001), and sex*density interaction (p = 0.0345) as predictors of growth rate. Survival to maturation was significantly reduced in both 0.47 (31%) and 0.93 (45%) cricket/cm2 groups compared to the controls. A second experiment was then conducted to investigate the starvation resistance of adult crickets reared from 14 days of age at 0.09, 0.19, 0.93, and 1.86 cricket/cm2. A second multiple regression analysis revealed only density (p < 0.0001) and to a lesser extent sex (p = 0.0005) to be predictors of starvation resistance. These results indicate that mass-rearing house crickets is most optimal at densities < 0.93 cricket/cm2, where impacts on survival and starvation are minimal. Although these results have implications for cricket mass rearing, research on other endpoints, including reproduction and the synergistic effects of other environmental factors, such as temperature and humidity, should be conducted.