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Published byVince Király Modified over 6 years ago
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Righting reflexes of the common flour beetle Tenebrio molitor
Danielle Broome, Sara Mackellar, and Jonathan Mallard
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Introduction Flour beetles (Tenebrio molitor) show righting behaviours
The effect of substratum on righting behaviours and the presence of a predator Hypothesis the rough/textured surfaces would enable the flour beetles’ righting ability smooth/slippery surfaces would hurt the flour beetles’ ability of grasping What we know, what we don’t know and what we are looking for (aka purpose)
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Why? What brought us to considering it?
Why pick righting behaviours as a subject of study? What possible implications could it have?
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Flour beetle (Tenebrio molitor)
Class: Insecta Order: Coleoptera Natural environment Grain stores Four life stages Egg, larva, pupa, adult Endangered to predators and themselves Natural environment – human agricultural (found in a wide variety of flours)
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Righting behaviour Two behaviours: Phase switch in muscles
Searching the ground Righting process Phase switch in muscles Simultaneous mechanism Lateral mechanism
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Methods 4 male, 4 female 7 substrates Timed for righting speed
Time cap – 90 seconds Explain out loud
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Results Figure 1 – Righting speed of male and female Tenebrio molitor with or without a predator present
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Figure 2 – Righting speed of female Tenebrio molitor upon various substrates
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Figure 3 – Righting speed of male Tenebrio molitor on various substrates
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Discussion Results confirm that the type of substrate can affect the righting ability of beetles. Patterns of behaviour were found to be similar to those described in other studies. Implications of results
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Criticisms Energy costs Time constriction Male – female comparison
Energy costs – from substrate to substrate
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Next step Effect of starvation Effect of different lights
Effect of temperature/moisture Comparison of relative sizes Presence of a mate
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