Mealworm experiment - Surfaces
Research Question: What type of surface do mealworms prefer to crawl on; plastic, paper, or cardboard?
Hypothesis: We predict that mealworms prefer to crawl on plastic because they could crawl and almost glide smoothly on the surface.
Independent Variable: The independent variable in this experiment is the surface that the mealworms crawl on; plastic, paper and cardboard.
Controlled Variables: The controlled variables in the trials of this experiment are the mealworms location, the temperature of the mealworms environment, the amount of material (plastic, paper and cardboard) used for the mealworm to crawl on, and the lighting of the mealworms environment.
Dependent Variable: The dependent variable that we are measuring is the mealworm’s behavior on the materials and the specific material they spend the most time on after 5 minutes.
Materials: 3 Plastic containers, piece of plastic, piece of paper, piece of cardboard, timer, tape.
Procedure:
-Take the plastic container and line half with the piece of plastic and half with the piece of paper.
-Take the second plastic container and line half with the piece of plastic and piece of cardboard.
-Take the third plastic container and line half with the piece of paper and half with the piece of cardboard.
-Place a mealworm in the middle of the first plastic container. Wait 5 minutes and observe which side the mealworm moves to, how much he moved along the surface, and how his body moved along the surface. Repeat with 5 other mealworms.
-Repeat the previous steps with the second and third plastic container.
Results:
-First container (plastic and paper)- the first mealworm moved along both sides of the container but stayed on the plastic side for the majority of the 5 minutes. It moved quickly along the plastic surface. The other two mealworms crawled to the paper side of the container. The mealworm crawled along most of the paper surface for the entire 5 minutes without stopping.
-Second container (plastic and cardboard)- all three of the mealworms crawled onto the piece of cardboard after exploring the container and stayed on the cardboard. They moved slowly but didn’t stop moving for the entire 5 minutes.
-Third container (paper and cardboard)- all three of the mealworms explored the container but crawled on the cardboard for the majority of the 5 minutes.
Conclusion: One conclusion which we made from these results is that the mealworms preferred certain materials because it was easier for them to grip their legs onto. The plastic for example was found to be too smooth for the mealworm to crawl on, making it hard to grip their legs onto it. Smooth surfaces like plastic meant less friction to help the mealworm crawl along.
The paper and cardboard were easier for the mealworms to get a good grip on, which is why they preferred to crawl on these surfaces over the plastic. When comparing paper and cardboard in the third container, the mealworm probably preferred the cardboard because there is more grip for their legs. The cardboard is more rough and sturdy, making it easier for them to cling onto and move along.
We conclude that mealworms prefer to crawl on cardboard. Our hypothesis was incorrect.
Mealworm Experiment- Wet/Dry
Research Question: Do mealworms prefer dry or damp conditions/surfaces?
Hypothesis: We predict that mealworms prefer dry surfaces to damp ones.
Independent Variable: The independent variable in this experiment is the surface on which the mealworms will be placed: a damp paper towel or a dry one.
Controlled Variables: Two identically sized paper towels are placed in a container, covering the entire surface of the container, so the time of day, room temperature, location of experiment will all be constant.
Dependent Variable: The dependent variable being measured is the behavior of the mealworms. After a period of 5 min, the number of mealworms on the damp paper towel will be compared to the number of mealworms on the dry paper towel.
Materials: 6 mealworms, plastic container (approx. the size of a shoe box), one damp paper towel, one dry paper towel, timer, pencil & paper to note results.
Procedure:
-Prepare the inside base of the plastic container by placing the dry paper towel to cover ½ of the surface.
-Run water over the paper towel, then ring out and air dry for 5 min to remove excess water.
-Place damp paper towel over other half of inside base of the plastic container.
-Place the mealworms at the center of the plastic container, where the dry and damp paper towels meet.
-After 5 min, observe the mealworms to determine how many have moved to which side of the container.
Results: After 5 min, 5 of the mealworms had migrated to the damp paper towel and only one remained on the dry towel.
Conclusion: We concluded that the majority of the mealworms migrated to the damp paper towel; therefore, the most of the mealworms preferred a damp surface over a dry surface. Our hypothesis was incorrect.
This conclusion caused us to question why the mealworms did this. We wondered if perhaps they were using the dampness in the paper towel to stay hydrated. We decided to run another test to determine if a “wet” paper towel would be preferred over dry or damp.
Mealworm Experiment – Wet/Damp/Dry
Research Question: Do mealworms prefer dry, damp or wet conditions/surfaces?
Hypothesis: We predict that mealworms prefer damp surfaces over dry or wet ones.
Independent Variable: The independent variable in this experiment is the surface on which the mealworms will be placed: a damp paper towel, a wet paper towel or a dry one.
Controlled Variables: Three identically sized paper towels are placed in a container, covering the entire surface of the container, so the time of day, room temperature, location of experiment will all be constant.
Dependent Variable: The dependent variable being measured is the behavior of the mealworms. After a period of 5 min, the number of mealworms on the damp paper towel, the wet paper towel and the dry paper towel will be counted and compared.
Materials: 6 mealworms, plastic container (approx. the size of a shoe box), one damp paper towel, one wet paper towel and one dry paper towel, timer, pencil & paper to note results.
Procedure:
-Prepare the inside base of the plastic container by placing the dry paper towel to cover 1/3 of the surface (closest to one side)
-Run water over another paper towel, then wring out and air dry for 5 min to remove excess water. Place this paper towel to cover another 1/3 of the surface of the container(the center section of the container).
-Run water over a third paper towel but do not wring it out or air dry it. Place it immediately into the final 1/3 area of the container (closest to the other side of the container)
-Place half of the mealworms at the juncture where the dry and damp paper towels meet and the other half of the mealworms where the damp and wet paper towels meet.
-After 5 min, observe the mealworms to determine how many have moved to which area of the container.
Results: After 5 min, 5 of the mealworms had migrated to the damp paper towel, one of them was on the dry paper towel and none of them were one the wet paper towel.
Conclusion: We concluded that the majority of the mealworms migrated to the damp paper towel but that one liked the dry paper towel. None of the worms wanted to stay on the wet surface. We conclude, therefore, that mealworms like some dampness but not too much. Our hypothesis was correct.
* Given the results of these past two experiments, we hypothesize that the mealworms prefer the damp paper towel because this offers them hydration that they would be missing from the dry paper towel. We further hypothesize that too much water is too wet for mealworms.
Mealworm experiment: Light and Dark
Environments
Research Question: Do mealworms prefer a light or a dark environment?
Hypothesis: We predict that mealworms prefer a dark environment because they spend a lot of time burrowed under the wheat bran in their box.
Independent Variable: The independent variable in this experiment is the amount of light in their environment.
Controlled Variables: The controlled variables in the trials of this experiment are the mealworms location, and the temperature of the mealworms environment.
Dependent Variable: The dependent variable that we are measuring is the mealworm’s behavior when exposed to the light of a flashlight in their box habitat.
Materials: 5 mealworms, box habitat, flashlight (we used the one on our iPhone), oatmeal, wheat bran, piece of paper
Procedure:
-Take all mealworms and place them on one side of their habitat. Make sure none are hiding under the different things in their habitat.
-Place a piece of paper against one of the walls creating a shaded area for the meal worms.
-Have one pile of oatmeal and one pile of wheat bran in the habitat (this was already there because they have been living in this box).
-Close the lid to the box part way making the box shaded and dark. Shine the flashlight directly onto the area where all the mealworms were placed.
-Observe how the mealworm react to the light in their normally dark habitat.
Results: Two of the mealworms moved very quickly into the wheat bran. One meal worm moved to the side of the box to get away from the light and the remaining two froze for thirty seconds then slowly started moving towards the pile of oatmeal and wheat bran.
Conclusion: From these observations we can state that the mealworms did not like the light and wanted to move away from it. The two who took longer to move away were frightened by the light and were using a defense mechanism pretending they are dead so nothing will eat them. Eventually all the mealworms did move away from the light it just took some longer than others. We believe this could be caused by the fact that they live underground in the natural world.
Darkling Beetle experiment: Light and Dark
Environments
Research Question: Do darkling beetles prefer a light or a dark environment?
Hypothesis: We predict that the beetles will be more accepting of the light environment than the mealworms were because of their protective outer shell, but they will still prefer a dark environment because the mealworms did as well.
Independent Variable: The independent variable in this experiment is the amount of light in their environment.
Controlled Variables: The controlled variables in the trials of this experiment are the beetles location, and the temperature of the environment.
Dependent Variable: The dependent variable that we are measuring is the beetle's behavior when exposed to the light of a flashlight in their box habitat.
Materials: 3 darkling beetles (would have used more, but the rest hadn't changed), box habitat, flashlight (we used the one on our iPhone), oatmeal, wheat bran, piece of paper
Procedure:
-Take all beetles and place them on one side of their habitat. We flipped them upside down to prevent them from running away until we wanted them to. Make sure none are hiding under the different things in their habitat.
-Place a piece of paper against one of the walls creating a shaded area for the beetles.
-Have one pile of oatmeal and one pile of wheat bran in the habitat (this was already there because they have been living in this box).
-Close the lid to the box part way making the box shaded and dark. Shine the flashlight directly onto the area where all the beetles were placed and flip them over.
-Observe how the beetles react to the light in their normally dark habitat.
Results: All three beetles moved very quickly into shaded areas. Two went under an apple piece that was in the habitat and the other one went to burrow into the wheat bran.
Conclusion: From these observations we can state that the beetles did not like the light and wanted to move away from it. They moved a lot more quickly than the mealworms and none 'played dead' as a defines mechanism. We believe this could be caused by the fact that they live underground in the natural world. Further research could involve using more beetles to see if this pattern is consistent.
Mealworm Experiment - Food
Research Question: Which food do mealworms prefer?
Hypothesis: We predict that mealworms eat more apple than carrot, potatoes, or oranges.
Independent Variable: The independent variable is the food that is given to the mealworms.
Controlled Variables: The controlled variable will be how much food is given to the mealworms.
Dependent Variable: The dependent variable will be the behaviour of the mealworms. We will monitor which food they are drawn to most.
Materials: 6 mealworms, plastic container (approx. the size of a shoe box), timer, a piece of apple, carrot, potato, and orange that are all the same size.
Procedure:
-Cut a piece of apple, potato, carrot, and orange that are all of equal size.
-Place a different food in each of the four corners of the box and set the timer for 30 minutes.
-Put the mealworms in the box and monitor which foods they go to first. Watch to see whether they will eat multiple foods and whether all the mealworms eat the same food.
-Record your findings.
Results: After 30 minutes the mealworms had eaten about the same amount of apple and carrot, but two mealworms had not eaten any of the food. They did not eat any of the orange and ate very little potato.
Conclusion: We concluded that the majority of the mealworms preferred the apple and carrot to the potato and orange. We originally thought that the mealworms would eat more apple than any other food, but they actually ate about the same amount of apple and carrot. They ate only a little bit of the potato and did not eat the orange at all.
This conclusion caused us to question why the mealworms preferred the apple and carrot over the potato and orange. Perhaps they do not like the acidity of the orange. Perhaps the potato does not contain enough moisture. We think that the apple and the carrot are easier for the mealworms than the potato and that the acid in the orange may hurt their eyes or exoskeleton.
Mealworm Experiment - Bran vs. Oats
Research Question: Do mealworms prefer to live in bran or oats?
Hypothesis: We predict that the mealworms will like the bran better because the residue on the oats may stick to their exoskeleton.
Independent Variable: The independent variable for this experiment will be the bran or the oats that are placed in the mealworm box.
Controlled Variables: The controlled variable will be the amount of bran and oats that is put into the box.
Dependent Variable: The dependent variable will be the behaviour of the mealworms. We will monitor whether more mealworms are drawn to the bran oats.
Materials: 6 mealworms, plastic container (approx. the size of a shoe box), bran, oats.
Procedure:
-Put a pile of oats and a pile of bran on either side of the box with a slide of apple on top of each pile.
-Place the mealworms in the middle of the box and close the lid.
-After 24 hours, open the box and count how many mealworms are in each pile.
Results: After 24 hours, we found that 4 mealworms were in the bran while only 1 mealworm was in the oats. 1 mealworm was in the middle of the two piles.
Conclusion: We concluded that the majority of the mealworms preferred the bran to the oats and our hypothesis was correct. We think that this is because the mealworms like the texture of the bran more than the oats. Perhaps they do no like that the oats tend to stick to their exoskeleton as they crawl through it more than the bran does.
Mealworm experiment - Surfaces
Mealworms vs. Beetles
Research Question: Will beetles prefer the same type of surfaces to crawl on as the mealworms did in the previous experiment? Or will their new body exteriors change their preference?
Hypothesis: We predict that the beetles will prefer the same surface as the mealworms; cardboard. We predict this because the cardboard will be rough enough for their legs to grip on.
Independent Variable: The independent variable in this experiment is the surface that the beetles crawl on; plastic, paper and cardboard.
Controlled Variables: The controlled variables in the trials of this experiment are the beetles location, the temperature of the beetles environment, the amount of material (plastic, paper and cardboard) used for the beetle to crawl on, and the lighting of the beetles environment.
Dependent Variable: The dependent variable that we are measuring is the beetle’s behavior on the materials and the specific material they spend the most time on after 5 minutes.
Materials: 3 Plastic containers, piece of plastic, piece of paper, piece of cardboard, timer, tape.
Procedure:
-Take the plastic container and line half with the piece of plastic and half with the piece of paper.
-Take the second plastic container and line half with the piece of plastic and piece of cardboard.
-Take the third plastic container and line half with the piece of paper and half with the piece of cardboard.
-Place a beetle in the middle of the first plastic container. Wait 5 minutes and observe which side the beetle moves to, how much he moved along the surface, and how his body moved along the surface. Repeat with 5 other beetles.
-Repeat the previous steps with the second and third plastic container.
Results:
-First container (plastic and paper)- All three of the beetles preferred the paper over the plastic. After exploring the container they stayed on the paper for the majority of the 5 minutes.
-Second container (plastic and cardboard)- all three of the beetles crawled onto the piece of cardboard after exploring the container and stayed on the cardboard. They moved slowly but didn’t stop moving for the entire 5 minutes.
-Third container (paper and cardboard)- One of the beetles preferred the paper over the cardboard, while the other two beetles stayed on the cardboard during the 5 minutes.
Conclusion: One conclusion which we made from these results is that the beetles preferred certain materials because it was easier for them to grip their legs onto. Since the beetles still crawl on small legs as they did when they were mealworms, they liked the surfaces that were rough like cardboard and less smooth like plastic.
The paper and cardboard were easier for the beetles to get a good grip on, which is why they preferred to crawl on these surfaces over the plastic. Our hypothesis was correct, they prefer the same type of surface as they did when they were mealworms.
Research Question: What type of surface do mealworms prefer to crawl on; plastic, paper, or cardboard?
Hypothesis: We predict that mealworms prefer to crawl on plastic because they could crawl and almost glide smoothly on the surface.
Independent Variable: The independent variable in this experiment is the surface that the mealworms crawl on; plastic, paper and cardboard.
Controlled Variables: The controlled variables in the trials of this experiment are the mealworms location, the temperature of the mealworms environment, the amount of material (plastic, paper and cardboard) used for the mealworm to crawl on, and the lighting of the mealworms environment.
Dependent Variable: The dependent variable that we are measuring is the mealworm’s behavior on the materials and the specific material they spend the most time on after 5 minutes.
Materials: 3 Plastic containers, piece of plastic, piece of paper, piece of cardboard, timer, tape.
Procedure:
-Take the plastic container and line half with the piece of plastic and half with the piece of paper.
-Take the second plastic container and line half with the piece of plastic and piece of cardboard.
-Take the third plastic container and line half with the piece of paper and half with the piece of cardboard.
-Place a mealworm in the middle of the first plastic container. Wait 5 minutes and observe which side the mealworm moves to, how much he moved along the surface, and how his body moved along the surface. Repeat with 5 other mealworms.
-Repeat the previous steps with the second and third plastic container.
Results:
-First container (plastic and paper)- the first mealworm moved along both sides of the container but stayed on the plastic side for the majority of the 5 minutes. It moved quickly along the plastic surface. The other two mealworms crawled to the paper side of the container. The mealworm crawled along most of the paper surface for the entire 5 minutes without stopping.
-Second container (plastic and cardboard)- all three of the mealworms crawled onto the piece of cardboard after exploring the container and stayed on the cardboard. They moved slowly but didn’t stop moving for the entire 5 minutes.
-Third container (paper and cardboard)- all three of the mealworms explored the container but crawled on the cardboard for the majority of the 5 minutes.
Conclusion: One conclusion which we made from these results is that the mealworms preferred certain materials because it was easier for them to grip their legs onto. The plastic for example was found to be too smooth for the mealworm to crawl on, making it hard to grip their legs onto it. Smooth surfaces like plastic meant less friction to help the mealworm crawl along.
The paper and cardboard were easier for the mealworms to get a good grip on, which is why they preferred to crawl on these surfaces over the plastic. When comparing paper and cardboard in the third container, the mealworm probably preferred the cardboard because there is more grip for their legs. The cardboard is more rough and sturdy, making it easier for them to cling onto and move along.
We conclude that mealworms prefer to crawl on cardboard. Our hypothesis was incorrect.
Mealworm Experiment- Wet/Dry
Research Question: Do mealworms prefer dry or damp conditions/surfaces?
Hypothesis: We predict that mealworms prefer dry surfaces to damp ones.
Independent Variable: The independent variable in this experiment is the surface on which the mealworms will be placed: a damp paper towel or a dry one.
Controlled Variables: Two identically sized paper towels are placed in a container, covering the entire surface of the container, so the time of day, room temperature, location of experiment will all be constant.
Dependent Variable: The dependent variable being measured is the behavior of the mealworms. After a period of 5 min, the number of mealworms on the damp paper towel will be compared to the number of mealworms on the dry paper towel.
Materials: 6 mealworms, plastic container (approx. the size of a shoe box), one damp paper towel, one dry paper towel, timer, pencil & paper to note results.
Procedure:
-Prepare the inside base of the plastic container by placing the dry paper towel to cover ½ of the surface.
-Run water over the paper towel, then ring out and air dry for 5 min to remove excess water.
-Place damp paper towel over other half of inside base of the plastic container.
-Place the mealworms at the center of the plastic container, where the dry and damp paper towels meet.
-After 5 min, observe the mealworms to determine how many have moved to which side of the container.
Results: After 5 min, 5 of the mealworms had migrated to the damp paper towel and only one remained on the dry towel.
Conclusion: We concluded that the majority of the mealworms migrated to the damp paper towel; therefore, the most of the mealworms preferred a damp surface over a dry surface. Our hypothesis was incorrect.
This conclusion caused us to question why the mealworms did this. We wondered if perhaps they were using the dampness in the paper towel to stay hydrated. We decided to run another test to determine if a “wet” paper towel would be preferred over dry or damp.
Mealworm Experiment – Wet/Damp/Dry
Research Question: Do mealworms prefer dry, damp or wet conditions/surfaces?
Hypothesis: We predict that mealworms prefer damp surfaces over dry or wet ones.
Independent Variable: The independent variable in this experiment is the surface on which the mealworms will be placed: a damp paper towel, a wet paper towel or a dry one.
Controlled Variables: Three identically sized paper towels are placed in a container, covering the entire surface of the container, so the time of day, room temperature, location of experiment will all be constant.
Dependent Variable: The dependent variable being measured is the behavior of the mealworms. After a period of 5 min, the number of mealworms on the damp paper towel, the wet paper towel and the dry paper towel will be counted and compared.
Materials: 6 mealworms, plastic container (approx. the size of a shoe box), one damp paper towel, one wet paper towel and one dry paper towel, timer, pencil & paper to note results.
Procedure:
-Prepare the inside base of the plastic container by placing the dry paper towel to cover 1/3 of the surface (closest to one side)
-Run water over another paper towel, then wring out and air dry for 5 min to remove excess water. Place this paper towel to cover another 1/3 of the surface of the container(the center section of the container).
-Run water over a third paper towel but do not wring it out or air dry it. Place it immediately into the final 1/3 area of the container (closest to the other side of the container)
-Place half of the mealworms at the juncture where the dry and damp paper towels meet and the other half of the mealworms where the damp and wet paper towels meet.
-After 5 min, observe the mealworms to determine how many have moved to which area of the container.
Results: After 5 min, 5 of the mealworms had migrated to the damp paper towel, one of them was on the dry paper towel and none of them were one the wet paper towel.
Conclusion: We concluded that the majority of the mealworms migrated to the damp paper towel but that one liked the dry paper towel. None of the worms wanted to stay on the wet surface. We conclude, therefore, that mealworms like some dampness but not too much. Our hypothesis was correct.
* Given the results of these past two experiments, we hypothesize that the mealworms prefer the damp paper towel because this offers them hydration that they would be missing from the dry paper towel. We further hypothesize that too much water is too wet for mealworms.
Mealworm experiment: Light and Dark
Environments
Research Question: Do mealworms prefer a light or a dark environment?
Hypothesis: We predict that mealworms prefer a dark environment because they spend a lot of time burrowed under the wheat bran in their box.
Independent Variable: The independent variable in this experiment is the amount of light in their environment.
Controlled Variables: The controlled variables in the trials of this experiment are the mealworms location, and the temperature of the mealworms environment.
Dependent Variable: The dependent variable that we are measuring is the mealworm’s behavior when exposed to the light of a flashlight in their box habitat.
Materials: 5 mealworms, box habitat, flashlight (we used the one on our iPhone), oatmeal, wheat bran, piece of paper
Procedure:
-Take all mealworms and place them on one side of their habitat. Make sure none are hiding under the different things in their habitat.
-Place a piece of paper against one of the walls creating a shaded area for the meal worms.
-Have one pile of oatmeal and one pile of wheat bran in the habitat (this was already there because they have been living in this box).
-Close the lid to the box part way making the box shaded and dark. Shine the flashlight directly onto the area where all the mealworms were placed.
-Observe how the mealworm react to the light in their normally dark habitat.
Results: Two of the mealworms moved very quickly into the wheat bran. One meal worm moved to the side of the box to get away from the light and the remaining two froze for thirty seconds then slowly started moving towards the pile of oatmeal and wheat bran.
Conclusion: From these observations we can state that the mealworms did not like the light and wanted to move away from it. The two who took longer to move away were frightened by the light and were using a defense mechanism pretending they are dead so nothing will eat them. Eventually all the mealworms did move away from the light it just took some longer than others. We believe this could be caused by the fact that they live underground in the natural world.
Darkling Beetle experiment: Light and Dark
Environments
Research Question: Do darkling beetles prefer a light or a dark environment?
Hypothesis: We predict that the beetles will be more accepting of the light environment than the mealworms were because of their protective outer shell, but they will still prefer a dark environment because the mealworms did as well.
Independent Variable: The independent variable in this experiment is the amount of light in their environment.
Controlled Variables: The controlled variables in the trials of this experiment are the beetles location, and the temperature of the environment.
Dependent Variable: The dependent variable that we are measuring is the beetle's behavior when exposed to the light of a flashlight in their box habitat.
Materials: 3 darkling beetles (would have used more, but the rest hadn't changed), box habitat, flashlight (we used the one on our iPhone), oatmeal, wheat bran, piece of paper
Procedure:
-Take all beetles and place them on one side of their habitat. We flipped them upside down to prevent them from running away until we wanted them to. Make sure none are hiding under the different things in their habitat.
-Place a piece of paper against one of the walls creating a shaded area for the beetles.
-Have one pile of oatmeal and one pile of wheat bran in the habitat (this was already there because they have been living in this box).
-Close the lid to the box part way making the box shaded and dark. Shine the flashlight directly onto the area where all the beetles were placed and flip them over.
-Observe how the beetles react to the light in their normally dark habitat.
Results: All three beetles moved very quickly into shaded areas. Two went under an apple piece that was in the habitat and the other one went to burrow into the wheat bran.
Conclusion: From these observations we can state that the beetles did not like the light and wanted to move away from it. They moved a lot more quickly than the mealworms and none 'played dead' as a defines mechanism. We believe this could be caused by the fact that they live underground in the natural world. Further research could involve using more beetles to see if this pattern is consistent.
Mealworm Experiment - Food
Research Question: Which food do mealworms prefer?
Hypothesis: We predict that mealworms eat more apple than carrot, potatoes, or oranges.
Independent Variable: The independent variable is the food that is given to the mealworms.
Controlled Variables: The controlled variable will be how much food is given to the mealworms.
Dependent Variable: The dependent variable will be the behaviour of the mealworms. We will monitor which food they are drawn to most.
Materials: 6 mealworms, plastic container (approx. the size of a shoe box), timer, a piece of apple, carrot, potato, and orange that are all the same size.
Procedure:
-Cut a piece of apple, potato, carrot, and orange that are all of equal size.
-Place a different food in each of the four corners of the box and set the timer for 30 minutes.
-Put the mealworms in the box and monitor which foods they go to first. Watch to see whether they will eat multiple foods and whether all the mealworms eat the same food.
-Record your findings.
Results: After 30 minutes the mealworms had eaten about the same amount of apple and carrot, but two mealworms had not eaten any of the food. They did not eat any of the orange and ate very little potato.
Conclusion: We concluded that the majority of the mealworms preferred the apple and carrot to the potato and orange. We originally thought that the mealworms would eat more apple than any other food, but they actually ate about the same amount of apple and carrot. They ate only a little bit of the potato and did not eat the orange at all.
This conclusion caused us to question why the mealworms preferred the apple and carrot over the potato and orange. Perhaps they do not like the acidity of the orange. Perhaps the potato does not contain enough moisture. We think that the apple and the carrot are easier for the mealworms than the potato and that the acid in the orange may hurt their eyes or exoskeleton.
Mealworm Experiment - Bran vs. Oats
Research Question: Do mealworms prefer to live in bran or oats?
Hypothesis: We predict that the mealworms will like the bran better because the residue on the oats may stick to their exoskeleton.
Independent Variable: The independent variable for this experiment will be the bran or the oats that are placed in the mealworm box.
Controlled Variables: The controlled variable will be the amount of bran and oats that is put into the box.
Dependent Variable: The dependent variable will be the behaviour of the mealworms. We will monitor whether more mealworms are drawn to the bran oats.
Materials: 6 mealworms, plastic container (approx. the size of a shoe box), bran, oats.
Procedure:
-Put a pile of oats and a pile of bran on either side of the box with a slide of apple on top of each pile.
-Place the mealworms in the middle of the box and close the lid.
-After 24 hours, open the box and count how many mealworms are in each pile.
Results: After 24 hours, we found that 4 mealworms were in the bran while only 1 mealworm was in the oats. 1 mealworm was in the middle of the two piles.
Conclusion: We concluded that the majority of the mealworms preferred the bran to the oats and our hypothesis was correct. We think that this is because the mealworms like the texture of the bran more than the oats. Perhaps they do no like that the oats tend to stick to their exoskeleton as they crawl through it more than the bran does.
Mealworm experiment - Surfaces
Mealworms vs. Beetles
Research Question: Will beetles prefer the same type of surfaces to crawl on as the mealworms did in the previous experiment? Or will their new body exteriors change their preference?
Hypothesis: We predict that the beetles will prefer the same surface as the mealworms; cardboard. We predict this because the cardboard will be rough enough for their legs to grip on.
Independent Variable: The independent variable in this experiment is the surface that the beetles crawl on; plastic, paper and cardboard.
Controlled Variables: The controlled variables in the trials of this experiment are the beetles location, the temperature of the beetles environment, the amount of material (plastic, paper and cardboard) used for the beetle to crawl on, and the lighting of the beetles environment.
Dependent Variable: The dependent variable that we are measuring is the beetle’s behavior on the materials and the specific material they spend the most time on after 5 minutes.
Materials: 3 Plastic containers, piece of plastic, piece of paper, piece of cardboard, timer, tape.
Procedure:
-Take the plastic container and line half with the piece of plastic and half with the piece of paper.
-Take the second plastic container and line half with the piece of plastic and piece of cardboard.
-Take the third plastic container and line half with the piece of paper and half with the piece of cardboard.
-Place a beetle in the middle of the first plastic container. Wait 5 minutes and observe which side the beetle moves to, how much he moved along the surface, and how his body moved along the surface. Repeat with 5 other beetles.
-Repeat the previous steps with the second and third plastic container.
Results:
-First container (plastic and paper)- All three of the beetles preferred the paper over the plastic. After exploring the container they stayed on the paper for the majority of the 5 minutes.
-Second container (plastic and cardboard)- all three of the beetles crawled onto the piece of cardboard after exploring the container and stayed on the cardboard. They moved slowly but didn’t stop moving for the entire 5 minutes.
-Third container (paper and cardboard)- One of the beetles preferred the paper over the cardboard, while the other two beetles stayed on the cardboard during the 5 minutes.
Conclusion: One conclusion which we made from these results is that the beetles preferred certain materials because it was easier for them to grip their legs onto. Since the beetles still crawl on small legs as they did when they were mealworms, they liked the surfaces that were rough like cardboard and less smooth like plastic.
The paper and cardboard were easier for the beetles to get a good grip on, which is why they preferred to crawl on these surfaces over the plastic. Our hypothesis was correct, they prefer the same type of surface as they did when they were mealworms.