AbstractsBiology & Animal Science

The house cricket, Acheta domesticus (L.), is an insect which has received, up until recently, very little attention as a physiological subject. This is no doubt due to the fact that it has been of little economic importance in Europe or North America. However, its potential as a laboratory test animal has been pointed out by several authors (Stone, 1953; Ghouri and McFarlane, 1958; Ritchot, 1960 ). Several factors enhance its utility - it is easily reared; it is a large enough insect in all stages of its life history to require no special handling, techniques; it has a sufficiently short life history; and finally it is not commonly subject to diseases or parasites in the laboratory.