31/150: Lady crickets like the tough guys!

animalia: Arthropoda: Insecta: Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Gryllinae: Gryllus: Gryllus veletis (Alexander, R.D. & Bigelow, 1960)

The Spring Field Cricket, Gryllus veletis, is common across North America. You hear this cricket’s song in the springtime until late July. Many cultures have considered crickets lucky, associating their chirps with happiness. Male crickets chirp to attract mates, and females assess the quality of the potential mate by the quality of their chirps. However, not all chirps are as happy as they sound! Spring field crickets are actually quite aggressive, and will often ‘chirp’ their opponent after a scrap with another cricket – especially if other male crickets were watching them fight. In addition to ‘chirping’ their opponent, they will do a little celebration dance to celebrate their success. Showing off seems to have its advantages – lady crickets prefer dominant male crickets! This video shows a cricket fight in the lab, and of course the victory celebration! #ToughCricket #BugThugs #Canada150 #Biodiversity150

Here’s the barcode sequence information for this species:

Process ID:  INRMA349-12

nucleotide sequence

AACCCTATATTTTATTTTTGGAGCTTGGGCTGGAATAGTAGGCACATCATTAAGTATTTTAATTCGAACAGAACTAGGACAACCAGGTTATTTAATTGGAGACGATCAAACTTATAATGTTATCGTAACTGCACATGCATTTATCATAATTTTCTTTATAGTAATACCTATTATAATCGGAGGATTTGGAAATTGATTAGTACCACTAATATTAGGAGCTCCAGATATAGCATTTCCACGAATAAATAACATAAGATTTTGACTCTTACCCCCATCATTAACCCTTTTATTAACCAGAAGAATAGTTGAAAATGGTGCAGGAACAGGATGAACAGTTTATCCACCTCTATCAACAGGAATTGCTCACGCTGGAGCATCTGTTGATTTAGCCATCTTCTCACTACATTTAGCAGGAATTTCCTCAATTCTAGGAGCTGTAAATTTTATTACTACTATAATTAATATGCGAGCACCAGGAATATCACTAGACCAAACACCATTATTTGTTTGAGCAGTCGGAATTACAGCTCTTCTACTATTATTATCATTACCAGTTTTAGCTGGTGCTATTACAATATTACTTACAGATCGAAATTTAAATACATCATTTTTTGACCCTGCAGGAGGAGGAGATCCAATCTTATATCAACATTTATTT

amino acid sequence

TLYFIFGAWAGMVGTSLSILIRTELGQPGYLIGDDQTYNVIVTAHAFIMIFFMVMPIMIGGFGNWLVPLMLGAPDMAFPRMNNMSFWLLPPSLTLLLTSSMVENGAGTGWTVYPPLSTGIAHAGASVDLAIFSLHLAGISSILGAVNFITTMINMRAPGMSLDQTPLFVWAVGITALLLLLSLPVLAGAITMLLTDRNLNTSFFDPAGGGDPILYQHLF

Learn more about it’s BIN (Barcode Index Number): BOLD:AAG0666

Title Image: Specimen BIOUG02793-F04 – Horseshoe Lake, British Columbia – 17-Jun-2011 – Aerial Net
Photo Credit: CBG Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics