The Relationship Between the Amount of Light and Activity Level in Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches (Gromphadorhina portentosa)

Abstract

Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches (Gromphadorhina portentosa) are known to be nocturnal. This type of behavior means that they are more active at night. Metabolic rate is dependent on the amount of activity displayed. In order to test our hypothesis that the level of activity in Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches will increase when the amount of light is decreased, we ran five trials in three different light settings with a constant temperature. We found that there is a direct correlation in the amount of light in the cockroach’s environment and the activity level of the cockroach.