title: The behavioural effects of predator-induced stress responses in the cricket (Gryllus texensis): the upside of the stress response.
abstract: Predator-induced stress responses are thought to reduce an animal's risk of being eaten. Therefore, these stress responses should enhance anti-predator behaviour. We found that individual insects (the cricket Gryllus texensis) show reliable behavioural responses (i.e. behavioural types) in a plus-shaped maze. An individual's behaviour in the plus maze remained consistent for at least 1/2 of its adult life. However, after exposure to a model predator, both male and female crickets showed a reduced period of immobility and an increased amount of time spent under shelter compared with controls. These changes could be mimicked by injections of the insect stress neurohormone octopamine. These behavioural changes probably aid crickets in evading predators. Exposure to a model predator increased the ability of crickets to escape a live predator (a bearded dragon, Pogona vitticeps). An injection of octopamine had the same effect, showing that stress hormones can reduce predation. Using crickets to study the fitness consequences of predator-induced stress responses will help integrate ecological and biomedical concepts of 'stress'.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 4R2.
authors.forename: Shelley A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Adamo
authors.forename: Ilya
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kovalko
authors.forename: Brianna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mosher
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004924:Escape Reaction; D005260:Female; D006135:Gryllidae / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009655:Octopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D011235:Predatory Behavior; D012104:Reptiles / Q000502:physiology; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D009655:Octopamine
keywords: Gryllidae; Orthoptera; acute stress; animal personality; animal temperament; fight-or-flight; stress hormone