Is bigger better? The effects of body size and temperature on the metabolic rates of Gromphadorhina portentosa.

Abstract

Many studies have attempted to produce evidence that Bergmann’s rule applies to ectotherms with varying results. We hypothesize that larger ectotherms will have lower metabolic rates than smaller ectotherms of the same species at lower temperatures. To investigate the claim that Bergmann’s rule applies to ectotherms, we measured the metabolic rates of Madagascar hissing cockroaches of various sizes at various temperatures. We found that cockroaches with larger body sizes have lower metabolic rates at lower temperatures than smaller cockroaches.