Necromone Death Cues and Risk Avoidance by the Cricket Acheta domesticus: Effects of Sex and Duration of Exposure

We document that the cricket, Acheta domesticus, avoids “necromone” chemical cues of death associated with treated surfaces and shelters (i.e., ethanol extracts of cricket bodies, oleic acid or linoleic acid). Initially we tested male responses to male body extract, oleic acid, or linoleic acid associated with shelters. Body extract was more repellent than either oleic or linoleic acid at a dose of 10 body equivalents per shelter. At 15 or 20 …