Increased Temperature Results in Increased Respiration Rate of Blaptica dubia

Abstract

 Ectotherms rely on their environment to regulate their body temperature and biological processes, so as the temperature increases, their respiration rate also increases. When looking at the relationship between temperature and respiration rate, Madagascar hissing cockroaches (Gromphadorhina portentosa) are studied extensively in the Journal of Introductory Biology Investigations, whereas Blaptica dubia is not. To determine the relationship between respiration rate and temperature in B. dubia, respiration rate was calculated by measuring the CO₂ output of four (4) B. dubias in three varying temperatures: room temperature (21℃), 15℃, and 28℃. Our results showed that in higher temperatures, their respiration rate was higher when compared to the room temperature control, however, there was no noticeable change in respiration rate during the cold trials. The results of our study on B. dubia correlate to what is already known about Madagascar hissing cockroaches regarding the relationship between temperature and respiration rate in colder temperatures. This raises the question of whether B. dubia and G. portentosa are true ectotherms, as their respiration rate should decrease in colder temperatures.