Wiseman's Flea Circus

Richard Wiseman has been blogging about flea circuses and has stired up quite a debate about cruelty to fleas.

Chinese Fighting Crickets

Thanks to the Christmas break I've had the chance to read a few books such as "Bugs in the System" by May R. Berenbaum. In the chapter on behavior there is a short section on Chinese Fighting Crickets. Being the skeptic that I am, I immediately thought that this was worthy of the Uncyclopedia. However, a bit more research backed up the fact that the Chinese have been running this sport for many centuries.

May writes, "As soon as immature crickets are old enough to be sexed, males are caged in elaborate houses and solicitously fed vegetables, fruits, chopped fish, and event honey as a tonic."

The crickets engage in a multi-stage battle starting with antennae fencing, then displays of spread mandibles, leading into interlocking of the mandibles and finishing up with wrestling. The contest can be stopped at any stage by one of the crickets retreating. The losing contestant won't fight for 24hrs unless tossed in the air by it's trainer.

It makes flea circuses in comparison look positively calm affairs.



Reference

May R. Berenbaum: Bugs in the System, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Jin, Xing-Bao: Chinese Cricket Culture, Shanghai Institute of Entomology, Academia Sinica

Mark Shwartz: Will fighting crickets unlock the mystery of human depression?, Stanford University

Humane Fleas

Thanks to Esri Rose, I've discovered that the American Humane Society has insects guidelines for the use of insects in films. Nothing too unexpected, very similar to other animal guidelines but with the addition of a clause to stop them flying into the lights and importantly to stop them escaping into the wild. Nothing that any self respecting Flea Circus trainer would have difficulty complying with.

However the first clause "Nothing can be done to an insect that will cause permanent harm, or permanently alter its physical characteristics." is a debatable one. Although it does not cause harm, is conditioning a flea not to jump and tying it into a thin wire, permanently altering it's physical characteristics?

I'm sure everyone will be glad to hear that no fleas were harmed during the making of the Flea Circus Film.

The use of glue and heated trays in flea circuses is something that has been raised by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Insects and refuted by the Union of Fleacircus Operatives.