Spatial Distribution Modeling of the House Cricket (Acheta domesticus) in Faisalabad, Pakistan: Environmental Drivers, Habitat Suitability, and Implications for Sustainable Management

Abstract

The house cricket (Acheta domesticus) is a widely distributed insect species commonly associated with human-modified environments, including urban, peri-urban, and agricultural landscapes. In rapidly urbanizing and agriculturally intensive regions such as Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan, increasing observations of house cricket populations have raised ecological, agricultural, and public health concerns. Despite its prevalence, limited empirical evidence exists regarding the spatial distribution, habitat suitability, and environmental drivers of A. domesticus at the local scale. Addressing this gap, the present study develops a spatial distribution model to predict the occurrence and habitat suitability of house crickets across Faisalabad District using an integrated geospatial and ecological modeling approach. Field-based occurrence data were combined with climatic, environmental, and land-use variables, including temperature, humidity, vegetation cover, and anthropogenic land-use patterns. Species distribution modeling techniques, particularly Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) modeling and GIS-based spatial analysis, were employed to generate predictive distribution maps and identify high-suitability zones. Model performance was evaluated using robust statistical indicators, including the Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUC), correlation coefficients, and accuracy measures, demonstrating excellent predictive reliability. The findings reveal that microclimatic conditions, especially temperature and humidity, along with land-use characteristics, play a decisive role in shaping the spatial distribution of house crickets in the region. Urban and peri-urban zones with warmer microclimates and dense vegetation emerged as highly suitable habitats, while less vegetated and environmentally stressed areas exhibited lower suitability. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on insect spatial ecology by providing the first localized species distribution model for Acheta domesticus in Pakistan. The results offer valuable insights for pest management, urban planning, sustainable agriculture, and the potential utilization of house crickets as an alternative protein resource. Furthermore, the study underscores the importance of integrating spatial modeling tools into ecological research and policy-making in emerging economies.