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Strange looking cricket in my cricket breeding bin

cricket

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26 replies to this topic

#1 Offline dspdrew - Posted March 15 2015 - 11:48 PM

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  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Anybody have any idea what's wrong with this cricket? It's eyes are all yellow.

 

med_gallery_2_251_302909.jpg

 

med_gallery_2_251_280365.jpg


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#2 Offline Gregory2455 - Posted March 16 2015 - 12:11 AM

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Parasite?

#3 Offline antmaniac - Posted March 16 2015 - 1:54 AM

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I am guessing some sort of parasitic virus? Similar to http://blogs.discove...m/#.VQamhmSUcrM



#4 Offline AntsTexas - Posted March 16 2015 - 6:03 AM

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i read something on a Parasite/fungi making ants turn into "zombie ants"

 

http://www.washingto...to-booby-traps/


Ant Queens found:

 

Solenopsis Invicta,  Solenopsis xyloni,  Brachymyrmex depilis/Sp,  Myrmecocystus Mimicus,  Pogonomyrmex barbatus,

Forelius pruinosus,  Camponotus sayi, Dorymyrmex insanus, crematogaster ashmeadi,

 

----------------------------------------

Ant Queens i have going right now:

 

camponotus sayi, solenopsis invicta, Myrmecocystus Mimicus, Forelius pruinosus

Pogonomyrmex barbatus, and some others (no i.d.)

---------------------------------------

YouTube:  AntsTexas

 

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/cdockray1

 

Facebook page:  AntsTexas


#5 Offline dspdrew - Posted March 16 2015 - 6:19 AM

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  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Apparently this person (http://www.chameleon...t-image-111166/) got a few like that when they bought some feeder crickets. Someone suggested a mutation from too many generations of inbreeding. Some of these definitely have been inbred many many times. I do add new crickets to the bunch every once and a while though.



#6 Offline kellakk - Posted March 16 2015 - 8:07 AM

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It's probably just a random mutation.  If it acts normal, it'd be fun to try to breed a variety that look like that :)


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Current Species:
Camponotus fragilis

Novomessor cockerelli

Pogonomyrmex montanus

Pogonomyrmex rugosus

Manica bradleyi

 

 


#7 Offline William. T - Posted March 16 2015 - 11:58 AM

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In the wild crickets around my house, I have seen a few like that. I still have some in the freezer.


Species I keep:

 

1 Lasius cf. Neoniger 30 workers

1 Camponotus sp. 15 workers

20 Tetramorium SpE 30 workers

1 T. Sessile 200 workers

 


#8 Offline dspdrew - Posted March 31 2015 - 3:19 PM

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  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

So a while back I found a male cricket in the bin with the same weird eyes. Well, now there are quite a few babies with the same funky eyes. I'm going to keep putting the yellow eyed crickets back into the breeding bin to see how many of them I can get.


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#9 Offline kellakk - Posted March 31 2015 - 3:30 PM

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That's pretty cool, it must be genetic then. Does the defect make those crickets blind?


Current Species:
Camponotus fragilis

Novomessor cockerelli

Pogonomyrmex montanus

Pogonomyrmex rugosus

Manica bradleyi

 

 


#10 Offline dspdrew - Posted March 31 2015 - 6:27 PM

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  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

I'm not sure. I wondered about that, but they seem to be able to see. It would be kind of convenient though. For everyone but them of course. :)



#11 Offline William. T - Posted March 31 2015 - 6:29 PM

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If I were you, I would try to isolate them. See what happens. If the condition is a negative one, you don't want the weird crickets breeding with your good crickets and producing more funky eyed crickets.


Species I keep:

 

1 Lasius cf. Neoniger 30 workers

1 Camponotus sp. 15 workers

20 Tetramorium SpE 30 workers

1 T. Sessile 200 workers

 


#12 Offline dspdrew - Posted March 31 2015 - 6:32 PM

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  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

I have plenty feeders. If that happened I would just keep pulling the yellow-eyed ones out first when it's feeding time.



#13 Offline kellakk - Posted March 31 2015 - 9:55 PM

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Crickets use their antennae and ears a lot, so they may seem functional even if they're blind.  


Current Species:
Camponotus fragilis

Novomessor cockerelli

Pogonomyrmex montanus

Pogonomyrmex rugosus

Manica bradleyi

 

 


#14 Offline dspdrew - Posted May 29 2015 - 10:01 PM

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  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

So I isolated the three yellow-eyed crickets I had left. There were two female and one male which was perfect. Well now there are tons of babies hatching, and every single one has yellow eyes.

 

med_gallery_2_251_109781.jpg

 

med_gallery_2_251_179674.jpg

 

med_gallery_2_251_335938.jpg

 

med_gallery_2_251_522925.jpg


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#15 Offline drtrmiller - Posted May 30 2015 - 4:37 AM

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We got ourselves another Mendel, folks.

 

Really great job on this.  Not sure if this is just neat, or if there's some practical use for it.

 

Maybe you could figure out a way to make the perfect feeder for ants, next.


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#16 Offline dermy - Posted May 30 2015 - 7:54 AM

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At least they look cool! Have you noticed anything off about them? If they are just normal, then I'd guess it's just a gene or something, much the same as blue eyes?



#17 Offline dspdrew - Posted May 30 2015 - 9:58 AM

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  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Yeah, they don't seem to be any different. Would be nice if they were blind, but that doesn't seem to be the case; these are just as much of a pain in the butt to catch. They sure look cool though. :)



#18 Offline Roachant - Posted June 1 2015 - 9:39 AM

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What species of cricket is that? They look different than the regular house crickets we have in pet stores here.

#19 Offline dermy - Posted June 1 2015 - 9:52 AM

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I think they are some species of Field Cricket? Or other wild native species from California.



#20 Offline dspdrew - Posted June 1 2015 - 12:53 PM

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  • LocationSanta Ana, CA

Yes. They are field crickets, not house crickets. I hate the sound of house crickets, but I love the sound field crickets make.







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