Preparing eugregarine parasites and their cricket host <i>Acheta domesticus</i> as a model for gregarine infection studies.

Abstract

The increasing global demand for house crickets (<i>Acheta domesticus</i>) necessitates effective health measures. Despite their abundance, the effects of gregarines on these hosts remain underexplored. We present a method for controlled gregarine infection and maintenance of gregarine-free cricket populations. This system, adapted from prior work, is essential for experiments on gregarine infection dynamics, providing insights into parasite evolution and host-parasite interactions within the Apicomplexa group. This protocol includes rearing and maintenance of gregarine-free cricket populations for experimental purposes, gregarine production for oocyst solution and cricket infection, and gregarine infection assessment.