DOI: 10.5061/dryad.xsj3tx9nn
title: Growth and ingestion data for house crickets reared at ad libitum conditions

description: In order to calibrate and evaluate a newly developed model for individual
 growth, the Maintenance-Growth Model (MGM), temporal data for body mass
 and ingestion was collected for male and female house crickets (Acheta
 domesticus) reared individually from birth to ultimate size at 28.6 °C
 under ad libitum conditions. 
description: Newly hatched nymphs of house crickets (<em>Acheta
 domesticus</em>) were collected, weighted, and reared individually
 in plastic boxes under ad libitum conditions and a temperature of 28.6 °C
 for 72 days. A controlled amount of food was provided twice a week, when
 the cricket as well as remaining food and faecal, were measured by weight.
 Age at imago emergence was recorded for each individual cricket. At some
 occasions, faeces were separated from the remaining food and weighted
 separately (in order to estimate the relative egestion rate). At the end
 of the experiment, useful data for 35 individuals (14 males, 21 females)
 had been produced. The ingestion between two measurements was calculated
 based on the known food supply and the remaining material, with
 compensation for moisture uptake in food and egestion. See the related
 manuscript for a detailed description of the experimental setup.
description: # Growth and ingestion data for house crickets reared at ad libitum
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.xsj3tx9nn](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.xsj3tx9nn) Newly hatched nymphs of house crickets (*Acheta domesticus*) were reared individually in plastic boxes at an ambient temperature of 28.6 °C for 72 days (during the autumn of 2021). A controlled amount of food (a mixture of pellets for guinea pigs and rats) was provided twice a week. At each feeding occasion, the cricket and the remaining food and faecal were measured by weight. Sex and age at imago emergence was recorded for each cricket. At some occasions, faeces were separated from remaining food and weighted separately (in order to estimate the relative egestion rate). See the related manuscript for a detailed description of the experimental setup. ## Description of data file structure **Data file**: GrowthDataAL.csv The data file contains a table with 9 columns, which are explained below: 1. **Individual**: Identification number specific to each individual cricket 2. **Time**: Time elapsed since hatching (= age of cricket) [days] 3. **State**: Developmental state of cricket (J/A). J = Juvenile. A = Adult. 4. **Sex**: Sex of cricket (M/F). M = Male. F = Female. 5. **BodyWeight**: Individual body weight *W* [mg] 6. **WFD0**: Dry weight of provided food *W<sub>FD</sub>*<sub>0</sub> [mg] 7. **W1**: Wet weight of remaining food and faecal *W*<sub>1</sub> [mg] 8. **Egestion**: Measured weight of produced faecal *W<sub>E</sub>* [mg] 9. **Ingestion:** Estimated ingestion of food Δ*W<sub>F</sub>* [mg] See the related manuscript for the calculation of ingestion (Δ*W<sub>F</sub>*), based on provided food (*W<sub>FD</sub>*<sub>0</sub>) and remaining material (*W*<sub>1</sub>) with compensation for moisture uptake in food and produced faecal.