A new mechanistic model for individual growth suggests upregulated maintenance costs when food is scarce in an insect

In order to calibrate and evaluate a recently developed growth model, the Maintenance-Growth Model (MGM), for the case of growth under food restriction, empirical data for house crickets (Acheta domesticus) were collected and analysed. This data set contains data for individually reared crickets growing under two different regimes of controlled food limitation as well as data for food-limited cohorts of growing house crickets. The sets include temporal data for body mass and ingestion as well as age and size at maturation (imago emergence). The data for food-limited cohorts were collected prior to this study and parts of it have previously been analysed and presented in a publication on animal self-thinning.  , Data for individually reared house crickets
81 newly hatched nymphs of house crickets (Acheta domesticus) were collected, weighted and reared individually in plastic boxes at an ambient temperature of 28.6 °C for 72 days. A controlled amount of food (an equal mixture of pellets for rats and guinea pigs) was provided twice a week (every 4th or 3rd day). Each cricket was exposed to one of two different treatments; 1) moderate food restriction or 2) strong food restriction, see the table below. At each feeding occasion, the weight of the cricket and remaining food and faecal material were measured. Sex and age at imago emergence was recorded for each individual. At some occasions, faeces were separated from remaining food and weighted separately (in order to estimate relative egestion rate). See the related manuscript for a detailed description of the experimental setup.

Treatment
Food supply at day 1 [mg]
Food supply at day 4 [mg]

Resulting average food supply [mg/day]

Number..., , # Growth data for house crickets reared under food limitation

## **Data for individually reared house crickets**

Newly hatched nymphs of house crickets (*Acheta domesticus*) were collected, weighted and reared individually in plastic boxes at an ambient temperature of 28.6 °C for 72 days. A controlled amount of food (an equal mixture of pellets for rats and guinea pigs) was provided twice a week (every 4th and 3rd day). Each cricket was exposed to one of two different treatments; 1) moderate food restriction or 2) strong food restriction, see the table below. At each feeding occasion, the weight of the cricket and remaining food and faecal material were measured. Sex and age at imago emergence was recorded for each individual. At some occasions, faeces were separated from remaining food and weighted separately (in order to estimate relative egestion rate). See the related manuscript for a detailed description of the experimental setup.

| **Treatment** | **Food supply at...