This cricket virus thing

[ladyknite]

I wanted to let you guys know that i got a response to my email to the Arthropod Society.

The cricket virus is currently being tested to determine if all arthro's are susceptible. So far they have only a partial list. Pub Med suggests that they all are, but that the virus will inhabit isolated or captive habitats, and that wild specimens may not be subject to the same extremities. Unfortunately, all our feeders are arthropods.

With the cricket virus as wide spread as it has become, has anyone contemplated propagation?

 

[beardielover17]

I don't use crickets but as far as other feeders, I've contemplated breeding roaches again and silkworms and possibly supers. Luckily for me I have 1 beardie now who eats about 60 bugs a week and Frank can eat supers more often than beardies as well as pinky/fuzzies.

 

[Craiger]

I hate crickets. *chirp*

 

[ladyknite]

we realize supers, mealies, silks, horns and roaches are arthropods too right?

Scientific classification: Hornworms are classified in the moth family Sphingidae, in the order Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). The tobacco hornworm is Manduca sexta; the tomato hornworm is Manduca quinquemaculata.

Classification: Class Insecta (insects), Order Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), Suborder Ditrysia (Moths, Butterflies, Skippers), Superfamily Bombycoidea, Family Bombycidae, Genus Bombyx, Species B. mori.

Most are classified Insecta, but still segmented to define arthropod description.

 

[crypticdragons]

Ghann's hasbeen putting out that it does not affect any other insectas and is in fact only affecting one type of cricket. so this is news to me

 

[Craiger]

we realize supers, mealies, silks, horns and roaches are arthropods too right?

I was thinking along those lines....but wasn't for sure. How easy/hard is it for this virus to jump to our established colonies at home?

 

[ladyknite]

Ghans breeds crix. Arthropod societies study the evolution of all arthropods. Considering the WIDE span of that.........I'll go with them. But even they have said they are not for certain.

I suppose my question is meant to cause people to think forward. What exactly will you do IF your feeders become non available or the cost of purchasing them makes this hobby ridiculous to afford?

 

[Craiger]

I suppose my question is meant to cause people to think forward. What exactly will you do IF your feeders become non available or the cost of purchasing them makes this hobby ridiculous to afford?

Gotcha. Guess those of us that breed our own feeders are a bit less concerned.

 

[beardielover17]

I'm aware that silks and all other bugs we feed our herps are arthropods. Luckily since I have such a small collection now and so few bugs are needed. I'm not all that worried. With a clean colony of breeding feeders hopefully nothing will infect them with it. If it comes down to price of feeders skyrocketing, once again I would pay the money so my guys ate healthy. Luckily for me my collection is small now but for people with larger collections of insectivores I do worry for them.

 

[Pogie]

Gosh, seems things there could get really bad. Wonder if the virus will spread to SA too :-\ :-\ :-\

 

[Red Ink AUS]

Can somebody fill me in as I have no idea what this is?

What is the virus?

What are the effects?

Doe it transfer to reptiles?

 

[beardielover17]

From what I've read it's like a parvovirus for crickets. It affects crickets at the winged stage in life and they die off in huge quantities. From what everyone is saying, no it doesn't transfer to reptiles but I could be wrong.

 

[staylor]

found this article thought you might want to read it if you have not already:

http://blogs.wsj.com/bankruptcy/2010/06/22/florida-cricket-farm-to-liquidate/

 

[Red Ink AUS]

From what I've read it's like a parvovirus for crickets. It affects crickets at the winged stage in life and they die off in huge quantities. From what everyone is saying, no it doesn't transfer to reptiles but I could be wrong.

Yikes, that's going to be a hard thing to clear as at this stage from information i have read there is no cure. The only thing that can be done is containment and let the virus die out through a lack of host. Which means lack of crickets.

 

[staylor]

I agree containment is the only thing to do. Now the science geek in me coming out, viruses are very smart. Even with containment, while the virus is starving from lack of host it could adapt to find a new host, such as flies? Not saying this will happen but food for thought.

 

[beardielover17]

To add to what you said Sandra, I think the original article I found stated the virus started from a moth or a beetle of some sort so I'm sure the virus will eventually find a new host. Hopefully it realizes that crickets aren't that great...kinda like how us herp keepers think they stink too lol

 

[Red Ink AUS]

How wide spread is it?
Are we talking about going into full blown panic yet?

This would be the main reason why OZ has a nothing in nothing out policy.
We even have tight restriction on plant materials coming into OZ.

 

[staylor]

It is very widespread. It has wiped out many farms in the US and Canada. The price of crickets has gone up and many suppliers do not have all sizes available at all times. Right now you can always find crickets but for how long is unknown. I worry what this will do and how fast it will spread if it gets into the wild population. Who's to say it has not, just has gone unnoticed at this point.

 

[Red Ink AUS]

If this goes into a full blown epidemic I'm sure if we pool all our collective minds we can come up with alternatives. For one I sometimes feed arachnids to my specimens and then there are the alternatives of vertebrate prey for the larger specimens.

Anybody know how they are dealing with this in Europe?

 

[zebraflavencs]

living with it, Francis... And due to the shortage of feeders over there the last year, I will take a guess it has infected all feeder species.

Back to the question... what to do, if you can't just order in feeders ?
Well, I have a tiiiiny super worm colony starting, got my roaches, no die offs yet *knocks on wood*, Working on getting some native species local to me, bred as feeders in the long run...

Also, the contamination seems to be spread by air, and contact, or proximity to captive colonies.
Hope this helps out.