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Thursday, October 28, 2010

Photo: Cannibal Crickets Cause "Forced Marches" Through Crops, Study Says


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A Mormon cricket eats another Mormon cricket.

Recent research shows that Mormon crickets on the move are quick to devour each other when other sources of protein are scarce. This may give the insects an incentive to keep moving forward in a swarm, helping explain why the crickets cover so much ground so quickly.

Photograph courtesy PNAS