1. Righting reflexes of the common flour beetle Tenebrio molitor
Danielle Broome, Sara Mackellar, and Jonathan Mallard

2. 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)

3. Why? What brought us to considering it?
Why pick righting behaviours as a subject of study?
What possible implications could it have?

4. 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)

5. Righting behaviour Two behaviours: Phase switch in muscles
Searching the ground
Righting process
Phase switch in muscles
Simultaneous mechanism
Lateral mechanism

6. Methods 4 male, 4 female 7 substrates Timed for righting speed
Time cap – 90 seconds
Explain out loud

7. Results
Figure 1 – Righting speed of male and female Tenebrio molitor with or without a predator present

8. Figure 2 – Righting speed of female Tenebrio molitor upon various substrates

9. Figure 3 – Righting speed of male Tenebrio molitor on various substrates

10. 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

11. Criticisms Energy costs Time constriction Male – female comparison
Energy costs – from substrate to substrate

12. Next step Effect of starvation Effect of different lights
Effect of temperature/moisture
Comparison of relative sizes
Presence of a mate