Territorial Behavior
Territorial Behavior in Crickets
Results
The results gathered from the experiment were promising for the hypothesis. There was a total of 472 Acheta domesticus tested in all trials, meaning there were 239 intruder crickets and 239 resident crickets. A chi square analysis was used to determine whether or not the null hypothesis would be accepted. Because there were two groups in the experiment, there were two degrees of freedom. If the null hypothesis was true, the number of intruder victories and resident victories would be very close to each other and the p value would be greater than .5, because the null hypothesis is that residency does not affect conflict outcomes in crickets. The chi square value of the test was 5.230, and the p value …show more content…
The main conclusion is that residency status does affect victory in territorial encounters. This means that resident crickets have a greater motivation to defend their territory, which allows them to win more, so residency does affect behavior. In another study, it was discovered that antennae pick up information form the opponent that causes crickets to fight rather than visual stimulus (Sakura and Aonuma, 2013). Another study showed that the chemical serotonin can increase aggressiveness of crickets and affect behavior in winning and losing crickets (Dyakonova and Krushinsky, 2013). This could mean that resident crickets win more encounters because a unique sensory input triggers a chemical change that makes them more aggressive and persevering in these encounters. These studies tested different species of crickets and different characteristics, so the relationship between the results is not 100% …show more content…
D. 1961. Aggressiveness, territoriality, and sexual behavior in field crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). Behaviour 17:130-223.
Bergman, M., M. Olofsson, and C. Wiklund. 2010. Contest outcome in a territorial butterfly: the role of motivation. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences 277:3027-3033.
Dyakonova, V. E., and A. L. Krushinsky. 2013. Serotonin precursor (5-hydroxytryptophan) causes substantial changes in the fighting behavior of male crickets, Gryllus bimaculatus. Journal of Comparative Physiology a-Neuroethology Sensory Neural and Behavioral Physiology 199:601-609.
Rillich, J., and P. A. Stevenson. 2015. Releasing stimuli and aggression in crickets: octopamine promotes escalation and maintenance but not initiation. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 9:34. INSERT THIS SOMEWHERE!!!!!!!!
Sakura, M., and H. Aonuma. 2013. Aggressive behavior in the antennectomized male cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. Journal of Experimental Biology 216:2221-2228.
Weissman, D. B., and D. C. F. Rentz. 1977. FERAL HOUSE CRICKETS ACHETA-DOMESTICUS-(L) (ORTHOPTERA-GRYLLIDAE) IN SOUTHERN CALIF. Entomological News 88:246-248.
Xiang, L. 2015. Laboratory 4: Experimental Design and Scientific Writing. Introductory Biology Laboratory 3:
Results
The results gathered from the experiment were promising for the hypothesis. There was a total of 472 Acheta domesticus tested in all trials, meaning there were 239 intruder crickets and 239 resident crickets. A chi square analysis was used to determine whether or not the null hypothesis would be accepted. Because there were two groups in the experiment, there were two degrees of freedom. If the null hypothesis was true, the number of intruder victories and resident victories would be very close to each other and the p value would be greater than .5, because the null hypothesis is that residency does not affect conflict outcomes in crickets. The chi square value of the test was 5.230, and the p value …show more content…
The main conclusion is that residency status does affect victory in territorial encounters. This means that resident crickets have a greater motivation to defend their territory, which allows them to win more, so residency does affect behavior. In another study, it was discovered that antennae pick up information form the opponent that causes crickets to fight rather than visual stimulus (Sakura and Aonuma, 2013). Another study showed that the chemical serotonin can increase aggressiveness of crickets and affect behavior in winning and losing crickets (Dyakonova and Krushinsky, 2013). This could mean that resident crickets win more encounters because a unique sensory input triggers a chemical change that makes them more aggressive and persevering in these encounters. These studies tested different species of crickets and different characteristics, so the relationship between the results is not 100% …show more content…
D. 1961. Aggressiveness, territoriality, and sexual behavior in field crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). Behaviour 17:130-223.
Bergman, M., M. Olofsson, and C. Wiklund. 2010. Contest outcome in a territorial butterfly: the role of motivation. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences 277:3027-3033.
Dyakonova, V. E., and A. L. Krushinsky. 2013. Serotonin precursor (5-hydroxytryptophan) causes substantial changes in the fighting behavior of male crickets, Gryllus bimaculatus. Journal of Comparative Physiology a-Neuroethology Sensory Neural and Behavioral Physiology 199:601-609.
Rillich, J., and P. A. Stevenson. 2015. Releasing stimuli and aggression in crickets: octopamine promotes escalation and maintenance but not initiation. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 9:34. INSERT THIS SOMEWHERE!!!!!!!!
Sakura, M., and H. Aonuma. 2013. Aggressive behavior in the antennectomized male cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. Journal of Experimental Biology 216:2221-2228.
Weissman, D. B., and D. C. F. Rentz. 1977. FERAL HOUSE CRICKETS ACHETA-DOMESTICUS-(L) (ORTHOPTERA-GRYLLIDAE) IN SOUTHERN CALIF. Entomological News 88:246-248.
Xiang, L. 2015. Laboratory 4: Experimental Design and Scientific Writing. Introductory Biology Laboratory 3: