Oxidative stress and diet in female field crickets: feeding and ovary allocation
In female field crickets exposed to paraquat-induced oxidative stress, food intake and nutrient allocation to ovaries depended on the quality of available diet; overall, oxidative stress promoted reproduction at a cost to self-maintenance. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
The study used a nutritional geometry framework in female field crickets (Gryllus lineaticeps) to examine dietary protein and carbohydrate in relation to oxidative stress, feeding and allocation to life-history traits. [1]
During paraquat-induced oxidative stress, females on a low-quality diet ate more food and allocated fewer ingested nutrients to ovaries, whereas with dietary options available they ate less and allocated more toward ovaries. [1]
The authors state that the protein-to-carbohydrate quality of available foods is declining due to climate change and suggest nutrition and feeding decisions may mediate how oxidative stress shapes life-history tradeoffs. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Experimental study in insects (abstract)
- Population / context
- Female field crickets (Gryllus lineaticeps)
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Original publication
- October 5, 2026
Cricket study on diet quality and oxidative stress
The study used a nutritional geometry framework in female field crickets (Gryllus lineaticeps). It examined how dietary macronutrients — protein (P) and carbohydrate (C) — interact with oxidative stress in feeding and in allocation to life-history traits. The authors note that animals regularly face oxidative stress through normal processes such as reproduction and aging, and increasingly through environmental change. They also suggest that dietary options and feeding decisions may mediate the fitness-related costs of oxidative stress.
Supporting source [1]
Feeding and ovary allocation during paraquat exposure
During oxidative stress, induced by paraquat exposure, females on a low-quality diet ate more food and allocated fewer ingested nutrients to their ovaries. When dietary options were available, the same oxidative stress condition was linked to eating less food and allocating more toward the ovaries. Overall, exposure to oxidative stress promoted reproduction at an expense to self-maintenance. These are associations in crickets, not evidence of cause in other species.
Supporting source [1]
Declining food P:C quality and life-history tradeoffs
The authors state that the macronutrient quality (P:C) of available foods is declining due to climate change. They suggest that nutrition and feeding decisions may therefore play important roles in how oxidative stress shapes life-history tradeoffs. The abstract does not report sample sizes, follow-up duration or effect sizes, and the full text was not reviewed.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. The abstract reports no sample sizes, follow-up duration or effect sizes. Findings concern female field crickets under paraquat exposure and are associations, not causal evidence for other species or for human health.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Stahlschmidt ZR, Chapman L, Mothukuri S, Wang R, Khan Z. · europepmc.org · October 5, 2026