Preliminary Observations on Nutrient Composition Differences Between Adult and Pinhead Crickets, Acheta domestica
Assoc Reptilian Amphibian Vet 7[1]:10-13 Jan/Apr'97 Clinical Report 29 Refs

- Crickets, Acheta domestics, are commonly fed to a variety of animals in captive situations. Pinhead crickets are the tiny (approximately 0.2 cm, < 0.01 g), nymphal stages which are useful in feeding smaller species (e.g. Dendrobates spp.) which cannot consume the larger adult crickets. Although there are a number of nymphal stages, they are often collectively referred to as pinheads. Despite common use in zoos and private facilities, widespread commercial availability, and the focus of research on inverse Ca to P ratios in invertebrates, detailed information on nutrient content of pinhead crickets (or other nymphal stages) could not be found in the literature. This report compares preliminary chemical composition of pinhead vs. adult crickets obtained from the same supplier. Such data are vital for understanding and improving the diets of animals, specifically insectivorous amphibians and reptiles, maintained in zoological parks or in other captive situations. (Author Abstract)