# General Topics > Food, Feeders, Live, Frozen, Culturing, etc >  Weird - albino cricket !

## Lynn

I have raised my own crickets for over 2 years.
This is the first time I have had an albino cricket.


Creepy !
Lynn

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## Autumn

Ooo, does it have those redish eyes? Can you post a picture of it?  :Smile:

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## Kristen87

Pretty sure crickets go white when they shed their skin, my cockroaches do that too. You may not see them as often because after shedding, their skin is softer so they tend to hide more for protection. They look pretty weird though!

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## Lynn

> Ooo, does it have those redish eyes? Can you post a picture of it?


I have saved him.
I put him in the reproduction bin. (I could not resist!)
I think it has black eyes, Autumn ?
I will try to get a better pic !
Lynn

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## Lynn

> Pretty sure crickets go white when they shed their skin, my cockroaches do that too. You may not see them as often because after shedding, their skin is softer so they tend to hide more for protection. They look pretty weird though!


Kristen, No, this is very different !
It has been that color for many days. 
He ( no egg shaft) has been in the bin for a while - because he is too big to feed to my red eyes !
He is ghostly looking !

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## Autumn

> I have saved him.
> I put him in the reproduction bin. (I could not resist!)
> I think it has black eyes, Autumn ?
> I will try to get a better pic !
> Lynn


Awesome, thanks!  :Smile: 

Edit: Oh, I didn't see the original pic you had  until now lol....

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## Colleen/Jerrod

Yep that's an albino. You can tell the exoskeleton has fully hardened and the wings developed.

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## Lynn

Autumn and Kristen,
You both like this guy !
I'm having a heart attack !!!   lol
I'm going to have a nightmare tonight !!!!
This is ONE truly , creepy,  looking cricket.
I had to touch it to move it into the (you know what bin !!!  ) hahahah
Gosh knows what I'll have if he reproduces !

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## Lynn

> Yep that's an albino. You can tell the exoskeleton has fully hardened and the wings developed.


Creepy !

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## Autumn

> Autumn and Kristen,
> You both like this guy !
> I'm having a heart attack !!!   lol
> I'm going to have a nightmare tonight !!!!
> This is ONE truly , creepy,  looking cricket.
> I had to touch it to move it into the (you know what bin !!!  ) hahahah
> Gosh knows what I'll have if he reproduces !


Haha, my mom would be the same way! She gets jittery around my cricket container all the time (shhh don't tell her I said that lol)
A colony of albino crickets....now that would be creepy !  :Wink:

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## Colleen/Jerrod

There is a species of cricket called Ghost Crickets, but they don't look like that.

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## Lynn

Okay , so here he is.  'Casper the Friendly Ghost'-- cricket !!
I shinned a light in is eyes- as close I wanted to get. No red.
He is different, for sure. 
NOT jumpy. And, he likes to hang out in the egg laying area.









I'll keep him , and see what happens?
OMG, now I have to worry about a cricket !!!!!

Lynn

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## Jeff

Beautiful = )

It isn't an albino though, as insects do not contain tyrosinase and can therefore not produce melanin. 

That being said - it could be a random phenotype. I would breed it to see if it is genetic. Could just be a reduced pigment specimen, hypopigmented, etc.

Follow up question: does he feel different than the other crickets? Is his exoskeleton as hard?

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## Lynn

> Beautiful = )
> 
> It isn't an albino though, as insects do not contain tyrosinase and can therefore not produce melanin. 
> 
> That being said - it could be a random phenotype. I would breed it to see if it is genetic. Could just be a reduced pigment specimen, hypopigmented, etc.
> 
> Follow up question: does he feel different than the other crickets? Is his exoskeleton as hard?


No, he is softer.

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## Jeff

I can tell that his wings look just slightly "off"

He might have reduced chitin within the exoskeleton, something that might normally be selected against but would prove incredibly useful to us using them as feeders. This would also explain his desire to stay in the moist area of the enclosure, as humidity is vital during the time of ecdysis for most species.

Does he otherwise behave normally? Can he eat fine and move about fine?

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## Lynn

> I can tell that his wings look just slightly "off"
> 
> He might have reduced chitin within the exoskeleton, something that might normally be selected against but would prove incredibly useful to us using them as feeders. This would also explain his desire to stay in the moist area of the enclosure, as humidity is vital during the time of ecdysis for most species.
> 
> Does he otherwise behave normally? Can he eat fine and move about fine?


Yes , he is acting normally as far as I can tell. In fact, I see him in the food dish a lot ?
He does NOT spend time on the cotton balls/for water though. 
He likes the cocoa fiber that I keep damp for them to lay their eggs in?
He does hang around the others in the 'nursery' area.
I set this repro bin up about 1 week ago. It's cool in my basement, so it will be a while.
There is, also , another ( very light colored - tanish ) colored male in the mix?

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## Jeff

It could be genetic, it could be an individual thing... perhaps there was an issue during sclerotization (hardening/tanning process during a molt). 

Only way to find out! Make babehs!! >=D

I would be tempted to think this is more of a structural anomally due to the softer exoskeleton, the lighter coloration likely resulted from this rather than an a specific pigmentation difference. Regardless, it would be interesting to find out if this is a fluke or something that can be reproduced. I for one would love to see a genetically 'soft' cricket.

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## Lynn

> It could be genetic, it could be an individual thing... perhaps there was an issue during sclerotization (hardening/tanning process during a molt). 
> 
> Only way to find out! Make babehs!! >=D


We'll see?
He's in the repro bin.
I don't remember seeing any crickets dragging around a skeleton lately!

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## Kristen87

> Okay , so here he is.  'Casper the Friendly Ghost'-- cricket !!
> I shinned a light in is eyes- as close I wanted to get. No red.
> He is different, for sure. 
> NOT jumpy. And, he likes to hang out in the egg laying area.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hahaha how cute, you now have a pet cricket :P Bet you never expected that one!

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## fluffypanda

i have a pet beetle! i was trying to breed the 'Giant Mealworms' and he was the only survivor! I've had him for a few months now and his name is max  :Smile:

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## Autumn

Casper would be a fitting name Lynn lol! ;D

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## Colleen/Jerrod

Is it possible their was a lack of a specific vitamin or mineral like calcium that may have prevented the hardening of his exoskeleton rather than a genetic anomoly?

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## Kristen87

> i have a pet beetle! i was trying to breed the 'Giant Mealworms' and he was the only survivor! I've had him for a few months now and his name is max


lol cuuuute!  :Big Grin:  ugh giant mealworms though, they are the CREEPIEST things ever lol. I'm getting the shivers just thinking about them.

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## Whistly

Casper looks awesome I would breed him and sell albino crickets people would probably go nuts for them.

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## Odica

I will buy some lol

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## Lynn

> Is it possible their was a lack of a specific vitamin or mineral like calcium that may have prevented the hardening of his exoskeleton rather than a genetic anomoly?


Good thought Grif ! I do mix gut load w/calcium in their daily feed though.

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## Lynn

> Casper looks awesome I would breed him and sell albino crickets people would probably go nuts for them.


No Thank You !!! I'll send him on a boat ride across the river to you! lol

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## Jeff

> Is it possible their was a lack of a specific vitamin or mineral like calcium that may have prevented the hardening of his exoskeleton rather than a genetic anomoly?


Possibly, though I am not sure what crickets specifically require during sclerotization, as the cuticle of each species of insect varies at least slightly.

The bulk of the exoskeleton (which isn't just a single layer) is composed primarily of chitin, a complex polysaccharide much like cellulose in plants. Most of us are pretty familiar with chitin as we have to deal with it when we consume crustraceans and this is generally the cause for concern with feeders that have dense exoskeletons like mealworms and zophobas. In addition, there are various proteins involved with the parts of the exoskeleton, and the prcoess of molting and 'hardening' to grow is fairly complicated... there are a number of enzymes involved, required precursors such as hormones and other cofactors. Its possible that dietary needs aid in the production of these cofactors, except I'd expect to see issues with the actual molt in the entire population (or a complete inability to molt, and death).

On the note of Zophobas morio (Superworms), this species is most safer to feed than the 'Giant' variety of Tenebrio molitor (mealworm) as the Giant variety are generally provided with an insect growth hormone to allow them to attain massive size and inhibit pupation to be used as bait. I'm not sure if there are negative effects to this insect growth hormone to our pets, but I'd rather not feed them. Zophobas are frequently coined as giant mealworms, make sure that the species you obtain are dark in color, with dark heads and very active (and unable to be refrigerated. They should look like this: SupersEatSilkC.jpg picture by JEFFREH - Photobucket

Anywho, crickets are thought to bring good fortune in some cultures...maybe this one is your Lucky ticket = )  You should name him Cri-Kee, like the one from the movie Mulan!


One more quick follow-up: Lynn, do you know if he was born this way?

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## NetworkLabs

Lolwut to above. 

I think if this is genetic, and shows no harm to our beloved animals, that this would be a better feeding choice than the regular House Cricket! It has a softer exoskeleton/body right? That means easier to take in and diejest(Damn, couldn't spell it!) the cricket! So I agree with Jeff, Get Babies ASAP!

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## Whistly

> Lolwut to above. 
> 
> I think if this is genetic, and shows no harm to our beloved animals, that this would be a better feeding choice than the regular House Cricket! It has a softer exoskeleton/body right? That means easier to take in and diejest(Damn, couldn't spell it!) the cricket! So I agree with Jeff, Get Babies ASAP!


Digest lol spelling isn't my strong point either.

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## Whistly

Also this thread has had 29 now 30 replies in 24 hours so just think how people will go MAD if you can breed them and sell them.

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## Lynn

> Possibly, though I am not sure what crickets specifically require during sclerotization, as the cuticle of each species of insect varies at least slightly.
> 
> The bulk of the exoskeleton (which isn't just a single layer) is composed primarily of chitin, a complex polysaccharide much like cellulose in plants. Most of us are pretty familiar with chitin as we have to deal with it when we consume crustraceans and this is generally the cause for concern with feeders that have dense exoskeletons like mealworms and zophobas. In addition, there are various proteins involved with the parts of the exoskeleton, and the prcoess of molting and 'hardening' to grow is fairly complicated... there are a number of enzymes involved, required precursors such as hormones and other cofactors. Its possible that dietary needs aid in the production of these cofactors, except I'd expect to see issues with the actual molt in the entire population (or a complete inability to molt, and death).
> 
> On the note of Zophobas morio (Superworms), this species is most safer to feed than the 'Giant' variety of Tenebrio molitor (mealworm) as the Giant variety are generally provided with an insect growth hormone to allow them to attain massive size and inhibit pupation to be used as bait. I'm not sure if there are negative effects to this insect growth hormone to our pets, but I'd rather not feed them. Zophobas are frequently coined as giant mealworms, make sure that the species you obtain are dark in color, with dark heads and very active (and unable to be refrigerated. They should look like this: SupersEatSilkC.jpg picture by JEFFREH - Photobucket
> 
> Anywho, crickets are thought to bring good fortune in some cultures...maybe this one is your Lucky ticket = )  You should name him Cri-Kee, like the one from the movie Mulan!
> 
> 
> One more quick follow-up: Lynn, do you know if he was born this way?


Jeff
Casper aka 'Cri-Kee' was born this way. I'll get another pic this weekend.

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## Kristen

I find this really cute (not the cricket, just the fact that everyone nameing him and all  :Smile:  )
I think you should breed him and see what his offspring are like, and if they are white/soft, feed them to your frogs for a 'test run' to see if the frogs like them better and what not (I'd assume they would taste the same though, haha)
This is real interesting

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## Jeff

Awesome Lynn = )

You know, I've never been so interested in a cricket in my entire life - they're usually so annoying to keep that I want to punch things.

Now, if ony he was able to produce silent/non-smelly offspring too. Sweet mother of God... that would be fantastic.

If you are feeling super ambitious, you could make a breeding bin for just him and a few choice females. This would help to eliminate competition from other males and you could truly ID his own offspring, or even hold them back and breed them together to see if anything recessive pops up!

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## Martin

> Now, if ony he was able to produce silent/non-smelly offspring too. Sweet mother of God... that would be fantastic


Psst, they're called dubias... but don't tell anyone  :Wink: 

Jokes aside, both thumbs up for JeffreH's information about crickets and insects in general.

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JeffreH

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## Lynn

> Awesome Lynn = )
> 
> You know, I've never been so interested in a cricket in my entire life - they're usually so annoying to keep that I want to punch things.
> 
> Now, if ony he was able to produce silent/non-smelly offspring too. Sweet mother of God... that would be fantastic.
> 
> If you are feeling super ambitious, you could make a breeding bin for just him and a few choice females. This would help to eliminate competition from other males and you could truly ID his own offspring, or even hold them back and breed them together to see if anything recessive pops up!


Hi Jeff,
The original/earlier pics in this post were  taken Wednesday- 2/15 at 7: 15 pm est
Well here is this same cricket a few minutes ago ( 2/17- 5:45 pm est). Looking much darker ? 
Not normal- but darker.





I'm  still willing to make a separate breeding bin? 
What do you think? I suppose he could have simply have had a shedding issue?

Note: I have not purchased 'new' adult crickets for quite some time. This breeding bin I recently made is from offspring (of mine) going on the 4th round.  It is however, offspring from batches  of 1000's of pinheads. Prolific little buggers ! Just a thought ?

As far as producing "non-smelly off spring'. Ha!
Unlikely !  You could clean them more often though. 
It works wonders. lol

Lynn

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## Jeff

Lol! I've tried dermestid beetles and regular cleanings, but they are still far too smelly for my liking. I may have just been spoiled on my lovely roach collection; can keep a bin of 10,000 virtually untouched for a year and it will not smell nearly as bad as 1000 crickets in a weeks time. But unfortunately, many are not allowed to keep roaches, either by parents, spouse, or by law (Florida for many species)... so crickets are the best option as a visually stimulating meal. 


As for the cricket - he doesn't look too far off from some others that I have seen now that he is darkening up some, but he is still slightly unique. His wings still seem off, (not necessarily in a bad way, just not 100% normal) but its hard to judge accurately without seeing him in person; it could be a fluke from a molt or some other environmental conditions. He also has otherwise normal markings on the head and pronotum of a domestic cricket, dark patterning that still suggests more of a structural difference than color/pigmentation difference. 

That being said, you have the ability to physically see him and compare him to the others in your culture. He clearly stands out significantly enough to you, so breeding him may be something worthwhile still. He is an adorable little fellow, worst thing that happens is you get normal crickets, which can just be fed off to your froggies like the others you are breeding = )

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## Lynn

> Lol! I've tried dermestid beetles and regular cleanings, but they are still far too smelly for my liking. I may have just been spoiled on my lovely roach collection; can keep a bin of 10,000 virtually untouched for a year and it will not smell nearly as bad as 1000 crickets in a weeks time. But unfortunately, many are not allowed to keep roaches, either by parents, spouse, or by law (Florida for many species)... so crickets are the best option as a visually stimulating meal. 
> 
> 
> As for the cricket - he doesn't look too far off from some others that I have seen now that he is darkening up some, but he is still slightly unique. His wings still seem off, (not necessarily in a bad way, just not 100% normal) but its hard to judge accurately without seeing him in person; it could be a fluke from a molt or some other environmental conditions. He also has otherwise normal markings on the head and pronotum of a domestic cricket, dark patterning that still suggests more of a structural difference than color/pigmentation difference. 
> 
> That being said, you have the ability to physically see him and compare him to the others in your culture. He clearly stands out significantly enough to you, so breeding him may be something worthwhile still. He is an adorable little fellow, worst thing that happens is you get normal crickets, which can just be fed off to your froggies like the others you are breeding = )


Okay,
I'm willing to do this,a  he dose not ( at the moment) look like the others.
I will set-up a little palace for him.
I'll keep you posted.
Lynn

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## Whistly

I've kept NZ native and the South African mantids and occasionally during shedding they will lose the tips of their legs and damage their wings so maybe Casper damaged his wings during shedding which could explain the "off" wings.
I thought of an advantage to white crickets they stand out easier so young frogs learning the ropes can find food easier.

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## Colleen/Jerrod

> I've kept NZ native and the South African mantids and occasionally during shedding they will lose the tips of their legs and damage their wings so maybe Casper damaged his wings during shedding which could explain the "off" wings.
> I thought of an advantage to white crickets they stand out easier so young frogs learning the ropes can find food easier.


That is a observation and thought, but a lot of amphibians and reptiles see not only normal light, but UVA radiation as well. If the crickets lose the pigmentation that reflects the UVA radiation it may make them more difficult to find. This would of course not be true for all species. Its still a very interesting thought. :Smile:

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## Jeff

Interesting thought Grif - Herps do have pretty amazing eyes; and some species of reptile have superficial pineal glands that allow them to 'see' UVB/C spectra in addition to UVA rays. 

I do believe most frogs can distinguish color fairly well; and just as you say it can vary species to species. I recall a short film (the name eludes me) that was introduced to me during a lecture on perception and conditioning to an extent, where a toad refused to eat a hornet after being stung, and still refusing to eat anything yellow and black with warning coloration. Nocturnal species for example must have also exceptional vision in the night but UVA may not be as readily available... in this case a white insect against a dark background to create a contrast is going to be a prime target I would imagine. I'm really only hypothesizing myself though = )

I've also had reptiles show preferences to colored meals - or have no problem feeding on soldier grubs or silkworms who are also white in coloration. My bearded dragon prefers things that are red in color, making the E. posticus roach nymphs and certain red fruits such as raspberry particularly appealing to him, lol.

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## Whistly

> That is a observation and thought, but a lot of amphibians and reptiles see not only normal light, but UVA radiation as well. If the crickets lose the pigmentation that reflects the UVA radiation it may make them more difficult to find. This would of course not be true for all species. Its still a very interesting thought.


I didn't have a clue about this. It's true you do learn something new just not everday lol

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## Colleen/Jerrod

> Interesting thought Grif - Herps do have pretty amazing eyes; and some species of reptile have superficial pineal glands that allow them to 'see' UVB/C spectra in addition to UVA rays. 
> 
> I do believe most frogs can distinguish color fairly well; and just as you say it can vary species to species. I recall a short film (the name eludes me) that was introduced to me during a lecture on perception and conditioning to an extent, where a toad refused to eat a hornet after being stung, and still refusing to eat anything yellow and black with warning coloration. Nocturnal species for example must have also exceptional vision in the night but UVA may not be as readily available... in this case a white insect against a dark background to create a contrast is going to be a prime target I would imagine. I'm really only hypothesizing myself though = )
> 
> I've also had reptiles show preferences to colored meals - or have no problem feeding on soldier grubs or silkworms who are also white in coloration. My bearded dragon prefers things that are red in color, making the E. posticus roach nymphs and certain red fruits such as raspberry particularly appealing to him, lol.





> Interesting thought Grif - Herps do have pretty amazing eyes; and some species of reptile have superficial pineal glands that allow them to 'see' UVB/C spectra in addition to UVA rays. 
> 
> I do believe most frogs can distinguish color fairly well; and just as you say it can vary species to species. I recall a short film (the name eludes me) that was introduced to me during a lecture on perception and conditioning to an extent, where a toad refused to eat a hornet after being stung, and still refusing to eat anything yellow and black with warning coloration. Nocturnal species for example must have also exceptional vision in the night but UVA may not be as readily available... in this case a white insect against a dark background to create a contrast is going to be a prime target I would imagine. I'm really only hypothesizing myself though = )
> 
> I've also had reptiles show preferences to colored meals - or have no problem feeding on soldier grubs or silkworms who are also white in coloration. My bearded dragon prefers things that are red in color, making the E. posticus roach nymphs and certain red fruits such as raspberry particularly appealing to him, lol.


Thank you Jeff

Yes indeed with nocturnal species they have exceptional eyes. I've noticed my Pacman frogs going after Calcium dusted crickets much sooner than undusted. Whether in darkness or under infrared light. I've seen a few videos about amphibian and reptile hunting and camoflage. Like how some snakes especially pit vipers have infrared sensors(nostel like hole in the face) hence the name. Some frogs can use UVA pigmentation in their skin to reflect the radiation making them completely invisible to predators who see UVA rays. By reflecting the same rays as the leaf they are sleeping on the blend in completely with the leaf. I have noticed when using a moonlight bulb that my frogs were not as interested in the food item regardless of color.  A good sence of smell plays a huge role in this as we'll and with how bad crickets smell ha ha! Should be easy prey.

None the less I do believe this to be an interesting cricket and if he has softer chitin and a brighter color would make an excellent addition to a already well used feeder. Problem is that recessive genes are not always dominant when it comes to offspring, but you never know. Lynn might get a mixed batch.

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## Jeff

Yeah, unforunately miss Lynn is going to have to do a full out science fair project for us if she wishes to pursue it, LOL = )

Only way to truly tell will be holding back all offspring, keeping them separate, and allowing them to only breed with one another if they do not show the father's characteristics. Surely with the amount of offspring that are produced, an F2 baby will be born that shows the trait if it is genetic and Recessive. If not, then we can be fairly confident that it is not genetic... and Lynn just spent a lot of time setting up cricket palaces for 'nothing' =D

<3 Lynn for giving this a fair run, lol.

On another fun note about breeding insects for traits: did you know that that the species of silkworm (Bombyx mori) that we feed to our herps has been reared in captivity for so long for their silk that they would not thrive in the wild and require our care to survive? The moths lost the ability to fly, and the larvae literally sit there staring at the sky waiting for mulberry to fall upon them. Not to mention they are incredibly prone to infection and handling food (and them) usually must be done with sterile gloves... I bred them for awhile many years ago and found them most amusing, but they are just too much work and cost compared to roaches, heh.

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## Colleen/Jerrod

> Yeah, unforunately miss Lynn is going to have to do a full out science fair project for us if she wishes to pursue it, LOL = )
> 
> Only way to truly tell will be holding back all offspring, keeping them separate, and allowing them to only breed with one another if they do not show the father's characteristics. Surely with the amount of offspring that are produced, an F2 baby will be born that shows the trait if it is genetic and Recessive. If not, then we can be fairly confident that it is not genetic... and Lynn just spent a lot of time setting up cricket palaces for 'nothing' =D
> 
> <3 Lynn for giving this a fair run, lol.
> 
> On another fun note about breeding insects for traits: did you know that that the species of silkworm (Bombyx mori) that we feed to our herps has been reared in captivity for so long for their silk that they would not thrive in the wild and require our care to survive? The moths lost the ability to fly, and the larvae literally sit there staring at the sky waiting for mulberry to fall upon them. Not to mention they are incredibly prone to infection and handling food (and them) usually must be done with sterile gloves... I bred them for awhile many years ago and found them most amusing, but they are just too much work and cost compared to roaches, heh.


Poor Lynn Lol! I think she will have fun doing the special breeding.

I did not know that we have bred that species completely into captivity. Odd to have an entire species domesticated. So does that mean that the adults pass their memories to the offspring? Since they probably wait for mulberry to fall to them because we bring it to them so they think if they wait it will just come to them. That's very odd. I'm not as surprised with the inability for adults to fly. There are similar animals that lose abilities in captivity from years of captive breeding. Flamingos for example in captivity if they are not fed a steady diet of the shrimp they eat in the wild they are white not pink. They get their pink color from the shrimp they eat and if they don't eat shrimp then there will be White flamingos and not Pink Flamingos. Diet and genetics. This has been an interesting thread.

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