Relationship of Environmental Temperatures and Metabolic Rate Over Tenebrio molitor

Abstract

  As a group we are studying the systematic relationship between the environmental temperatures and metabolic rate of an ectothermic creature, mealworms also known as Tenebrio Molitor. We hypothesize that when Tenebrio Molitor, (mealworms) are placed into climates that are hotter the metabolic rate of the mealworms will increase, as well as decrease when placed in colder climates. To conduct our study, we placed mealworms into a biochamber to measure their output of carbon dioxide. By measuring the levels of carbon dioxide, they exhale, we can determine their metabolic rate, and thus see how it fluctuates due to the manipulated temperatures. We measured the output over the course of five-minute trials. In the end of our research, results coincide with our hypothesis supporting that there is a correlation between lower temperatures and lower metabolic rate in Tenebrio Molitor.