The Chirp of the Common House Cricket David Bryce Easterly David Bryce Easterly Undergraduate Zoology Undergraduate Zoology Tennessee Tech University, Cookeville, TN 38505

Project Summary ► Problem: Does the size of the male house cricket A. domesticus have relevance in determining the loudness of its mating chirp. ► Problem: Does the size of the male house cricket A. domesticus have relevance in determining the loudness of its mating chirp. ► Objective: I am going to test the loudness of the mating call of the male house cricket A. domesticus relative to its size. ► Hypothesis: The size of the male A. domesticus determines the loudness of the mating chirp, and there in determines the attractiveness to the female. ► Null Hypothesis: Is that there will be no difference in the sound of the chirp in large and small males. ► Goals: Are to test the sound pitch to see which is louder a small male or a large male. ► Expected Results: There will be a difference in my opinion because the larger male should have more surface area to vibrate to make more sound.

Introduction ► Problem: Does the size of the male Acheta domesticus have relevance in determining the loudness of its mating chirp. ► Problem: Does the size of the male Acheta domesticus have relevance in determining the loudness of its mating chirp.  Females preferred tapes playing the chirps of large males, specifically chirps with a greater number of pulses per chirp (Gray 1996).  The study was to determine whether the chirps of male house crickets A. domesticus, provide females with information about male morphological attributes, and whether females use this information during mate selection (Gray 1996).

Objective/ Hypothesis Statements ► Objective: I am going to test the loudness of the mating call of the male house cricket Acheta domesticus relative to its size. ► Hypothesis: The size of the male A. domesticus determines the loudness of the mating chirp, and there in determines the attractiveness to the female. ► Null Hypothesis: My null hypothesis is that there will be no difference in the sound of the chirp in large and small males

Methods and Materials ► The crickets will be held in separate terrariums  6 Terrarium ► Sand ► Egg shell carton ► water ► Statistics: ► Chirps digitally recorded then placed on a computer to analyze  Computer ► Digital recorder

Methods and Materials (Con’t) ► Data Form:  (click here) click hereclick here

Expected Results ► I expect that the larger males will have a louder call than the smaller males. ► Benefits:  Increase mating rates to benefit food production for reptiles.  This study can relate to amphibians calling for mates, and it is a smaller scale so there is more control.

Timeline ► Timeline: (click here) click hereclick here

Budget ► Proposed Budget: (click here) click hereclick here