Changes in Temperature Decrease the Metabolic Rate of Blaptica dubia

Abstract

Ectotherms are affected by the surrounding temperature of their environment and are reliant on behavioral actions to maintain homeostasis. In order to test for how the metabolic rate of  B. dubia is impacted by varying temperatures we tested three roaches at 29.7℃, 21℃, and 7.2℃ by recording their CO2 output for three five-minute trials. This was then used to calculate their metabolic rate. The results of the experiment showed that the B. dubia had the highest metabolic rate at 21℃ (room temperature) and the lowest metabolic rate at 7.2℃. The results were not supported by existing literature and we believe this is due to a potential error in the equipment used. As such, we suggest this experiment be redone.