Developmental Effects of Microplastic Ingestion on the Tropical House Cricket Gryllodes sigillatus

Abstract

Microplastic (MP) is a growing concern as an environmental contaminant as it is now considered ubiquitous in our ecosystems. Microplastics have been confirmed to be present in terrestrial environments, yet the majority of studies have focused on the adverse effects of MPs on aquatic biota. I tested the effect of prolonged dietary microplastic exposure on the growth of the tropical house cricket Gryllodes sigillatus. Freshly hatched crickets were fed a standard diet containing different concentrations of fluorescent polyethylene MP beads (75-105µm) or untreated polyethylene terephthalate microfibers mixed into their diet until adulthood. Weight

Chronic Exposure to Polystyrene Microplastic Fragments Has No Effect on Honey Bee Survival, but Reduces Feeding Rate and Body Weight

“…Microplastic toxicity has been shown to be dependent on MP size, shape, and polymer type [ 25 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 ]. The tropical house cricket, for example, experienced a reduction in growth and size at high concentrations of polyethylene terephthalate microfibers in its diet, but no effects were seen when it was fed with polyethylene microbeads [ 43 ]. Chronic exposure to PS-MP fragments had no effect on honey bee survival in the current study, as also found when bees were exposed to PS-N/MP in the form of spheres or fibers [ 22 , 23 , 24 ].…”