In a word: Google. Find out what's already been done and what is being done in those areas. Use scientific jargon as your key word search so you can get to research postings.

The cricket one sounds the most intriguing, and most in line with the sort of research done at the university I work for. The challenge there will be to gather solid baseline information so that they can even begin to distinguish between norms and extremes. It seems to me you would need to begin with them in a natural environment, but how then to introduce those other variables? You would have to be extra cautious to only compare like species.

Crickets are very inexpensive to buy. I think they go for about $12 for a thousand. That might not be a bad way to start - they'd prolly all be from the same exact lineage.

Ok, time to take off my thinking cap and get back to work. Tell her good luck!