Causes of Cricket Coloration: From Climate Change to Camouflage
Poster Number
23C
Research or Creativity Area
Natural Sciences
Abstract
The animal kingdom displays a dazzling array of color. Phenotypic plasticity in coloration (the ability of an organism to express different types of pigmentation) may be important for animals’ success in response to climate change. For example, in the face of warming, insects can adopt lighter coloration to avoid heat absorption from solar radiation. Pigmentation may also respond to other environmental factors, such as water availability and predation risk. Depositing dark melanin pigment into the cuticle can decrease the permeability of water through the exoskeleton. Therefore, drought conditions may lead to darker crickets that exhibit reduced rates of water loss. Insects have many predators and, thus, are highly motivated to reduce their risk of predation, potentially through camouflage or crypsis. Thus, exposure to dark-colored environments may increase melanization while exposure to light-colored environments may reduce melanization. Here, we used a factorial design to manipulate temperature (20℃ or 30℃), water availability (presence or absence of drinking water), and environmental color (white or black background) in the variable field cricket (Gryllus lineaticeps), which naturally exhibits a range of coloration– from pale tan to red to black. We measured melanization in the crickets’ wing pads to test the relative importance of temperature, water availability, and crypsis in the phenotypic plasticity of coloration. Our design also allowed us to examine potential interactive effects among these three factors. For example, crickets may display reduced melanization in warm environments (30℃), but only when water is available. Our research will clarify how an important type of phenotypic plasticity will respond to ongoing climate change and urbanization that continues to alter aspects of temperature, water availability, and predation globally.
Location
Don and Karen DeRosa University Center (DUC) Poster Hall
Start Date
27-4-2024 10:30 AM
End Date
27-4-2024 12:30 PM
Causes of Cricket Coloration: From Climate Change to Camouflage
Don and Karen DeRosa University Center (DUC) Poster Hall
The animal kingdom displays a dazzling array of color. Phenotypic plasticity in coloration (the ability of an organism to express different types of pigmentation) may be important for animals’ success in response to climate change. For example, in the face of warming, insects can adopt lighter coloration to avoid heat absorption from solar radiation. Pigmentation may also respond to other environmental factors, such as water availability and predation risk. Depositing dark melanin pigment into the cuticle can decrease the permeability of water through the exoskeleton. Therefore, drought conditions may lead to darker crickets that exhibit reduced rates of water loss. Insects have many predators and, thus, are highly motivated to reduce their risk of predation, potentially through camouflage or crypsis. Thus, exposure to dark-colored environments may increase melanization while exposure to light-colored environments may reduce melanization. Here, we used a factorial design to manipulate temperature (20℃ or 30℃), water availability (presence or absence of drinking water), and environmental color (white or black background) in the variable field cricket (Gryllus lineaticeps), which naturally exhibits a range of coloration– from pale tan to red to black. We measured melanization in the crickets’ wing pads to test the relative importance of temperature, water availability, and crypsis in the phenotypic plasticity of coloration. Our design also allowed us to examine potential interactive effects among these three factors. For example, crickets may display reduced melanization in warm environments (30℃), but only when water is available. Our research will clarify how an important type of phenotypic plasticity will respond to ongoing climate change and urbanization that continues to alter aspects of temperature, water availability, and predation globally.
