BIOENERGETICS OF CAMEL CRICKETS (CEUTHOPHILUS-CARLSBADENSIS, C-LONGIPES AND C-CONICAUDUS) FROM CARLSBAD CAVERNS NATIONAL-PARK, NEW-MEXICO

1. Camel crickets in Carlsbad Caverns National Park exhibit linear lon g-term weight loss patterns for combined sexes of 1.05 mg/hr for Ceuth ophilus carlsbadensis, 0.261 mg/hr for C. conicaudus, and 0.321 mg/hr for C. longipes. 2. From these patterns, maximal foraging intervals fo r females and males, respectively, of 5.1 and 4.4 days for C. carlsbad ensis, 4.6 and 5.7 days for C. longipes, and 5.0 and 4.2 days for C. c onicaudus were predicted. 3. Calculated metabolic rates (cal/hr) of 1. 04 for C. carlsbadensis and 0.52 for C. longipes were half that predic ted for epigean species of similar size.