Developmental Effects of Microplastic Ingestion on the Tropical House Cricket Gryllodes sigillatus
Abstract
Microplastic (MP) is a growing concern as an environmental contaminant as it is now considered ubiquitous in our ecosystems.Microplastics have been confirmed to be present in terrestrial environments, yet the majority of studies have focused on the adverse effects of MPs on aquatic biota.I tested the effect of prolonged dietary microplastic exposure on the growth of the tropical house cricket Gryllodes sigillatus.Freshly hatched crickets were fed a standard diet containing different concentrations of fluorescent polyethylene MP beads (75-105µm) or untreated polyethylene terephthalate microfibers mixed into their diet until adulthood.Weight and body length were measured weekly and MP ingestion was confirmed through fluorescence microscopy and visual inspection of frass.Surprisingly, I found no effect of polyethylene MP ingestion on growth rate or final body size of G. sigillatus, yet females experienced a reduction in size and weight at high concentrations of polyethylene terephthalate microfibers in their diet.These results suggest that high concentrations of polyethylene MP beads can be passed through the cricket's gut without a substantial negative effect on their growth and development time, but high concentrations of polyethylene terephthalate microfibers cannot.Although we report the effects of MP ingestion on the growth of G. sigillatus, it remains uncertain what threats microplastics pose to other insect life history traits such as fecundity.
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