Does experience in multiple contests affect cricket exploration behavior?

Abstract

Previous experiences strongly influence animal behavior, particularly in response to social interactions. In this study, I investigated how sequences of positive and negative outcomes in aggressive contests influenced exploration and latency behaviors in male house crickets (Acheta domesticus). Crickets were divided into five experimental groups: two wins (WW), two losses (LL), win-loss (WL), loss-win (LW), and a control group (CG) without contests. Behavioral responses were recorded both before and after the contests. I documented observations on subsequent days to evaluate lasting impacts. I assessed exploration by recording movements between defined areas in a test arena, and I measured latency by timing how long crickets took to exit a shelter. Aggression contests were staged by pairing crickets with either larger or smaller opponents to produce specific outcomes. The staged contest design allowed me to examine how winning or losing, as well as the sequence of these outcomes, influenced key behavioral metrics. I hypothesized that the most recent contest experience strongly influenced exploration, latency, and time spent in the thigmotaxis area. I expected patterns to vary based on the sequence and proportion of wins and losses. Crickets experiencing predominantly negative outcomes likely displayed more pronounced and prolonged behavioral changes than those with positive experiences. This research highlighted the ecological importance of behavioral plasticity and demonstrated how social experiences dynamically shaped behaviors critical for survival, including dispersal, mating, and predator avoidance.Lew Wentz FoundationIntegrative Biolog