# Crickets virus/mutation



## LGMS (Oct 27, 2005)

I had about 700 pinheads that started from eggs the adult crix made before those adults became mantid food. Perhaps 500 of the pinheads have survived from that batch and are almost adults now.

I've noticed a few problem crix every now and then. I dispose of the lame ones or those that look diseased/mutated in some fashion. I assume the ones that have unnatural "growths" like lumps on their bodies are normal to find in nature but wonder what the occurance rate is?

It doesn't happen often from what I've seen, perhaps 1 in 100. Of course it's also possible the other crix kill some of them before I find them, survival of the fittest.

I am curious as to whether it's viral or genetic, anyone have info on this?

Rgds,

Louis


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## Rick (Oct 27, 2005)

Never seen that before.


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## PseudoDave (Oct 27, 2005)

Never noticed it in any stocks over here, though if anything i'd say it's more likely to be genetic, most probably from inbreeding.


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## LGMS (Oct 27, 2005)

> Never noticed it in any stocks over here, though if anything i'd say it's more likely to be genetic, most probably from inbreeding.


"Inbreeding", OK! That makes good sense &amp; explains the undesireable side effects. I'd read about inbreeding on mantids and how some would pair them for mating from different ooths produced by unrelated partners but didn't even think of it concerning crickets. I've read that in some species it takes generations of inbreeding before problems occur.

Then I'd guess it's best to select another unrelated batch of crickets &amp; pair them up for breeding to prevent this from occuring again. I have no idea where the local pet shop I purchased from gets its crickets or if they breed them inhouse. It's the 1st time I've bred them and simply used the stock from the pet shop.

Started looking up the matter on the Web and found quite a bit of info on it. How do those on this forum who are breeding mantids select the pairs? Different ooths and partners? Do you pick different partners each time you mate the mantids?

"The price of mating with a close relative in many species is genetic incompatibility, which can lead to disease." http://www.genomenewsnetwork.org/articles/.../Crickets.shtml


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