Heat Waves Enhance Cricket Reproduction

Environmental changes like heat waves can affect every stage of reproduction in crickets,

from preparing to mate through the process of laying eggs. This study used

female variable field crickets to see how heat waves influence three stages of reproduction:

before mating, during mating, and after mating. The researchers predicted that higher

temperatures would increase reproductive activity, like their egg production. Female crickets

were exposed to either normal temperatures or simulated heat wave conditions for several days.

Researchers measured the following: ovary mass before mating, mating success, and the number of

eggs laid afterward. They also observed how females distributed their eggs among their environment.