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Patterson A King thesis 2016 (4).pdf (734.12 KB)

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Chemosensitivity in mealworms and Darkling beetles (Tenebrio molitor) across oxygen and carbon dioxide gradients

Patterson, Andrew King
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2293-3851
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1472154010

Abstract Details

2016, Master of Science (MS), Wright State University, Biological Sciences.
Breathing in most insects is controlled through a negative feedback loop consisting of signals (O2, CO2, pH), sensors (chemoreceptors), integrators (neural ganglia), and effectors (spiracles over tracheae). I hypothesized that mealworms and their adult counterparts Darkling beetles, Tenebrio molitor, can sense anoxic and hyperoxic environments and preferentially avoid these environments. I also hypothesize that mealworms are attracted to hypercarbia while Darkling beetles avoid hypercarbia. I constructed a test arena to create an O2 or CO2 gradient. Velocity, total distance traveled, and time spent in each area of the O2 or CO2 gradients were compared for 0%, 21% and 100% O2, and 0.04%, 1% and 5% CO2. Air flow alone decreased velocity and distance traveled by Darkling beetles compared to the no air flow protocol (p<0.05, one-way ANOVA). Darkling beetles spent more time in 21% O2 than in 100% O2 than in 0% O2 (p<0.05, one-way ANOVA). There was no evidence that the Darkling beetles preferred any portion of the CO2 gradient over another. I infer from my data that Darkling beetles prefer to avoid anoxic and to a lesser extent hyperoxic environments. Mealworms spent more time in anoxia than normoxia (p<0.05, one-way ANOVA). Mealworms spent more time in 5% CO2 than 1% CO2 and 0.04% CO2 (p<0.05, one-way ANOVA). I infer from my data that mealworms prefer anoxia over normoxia and are attracted to hypercarbia. Darkling beetles and mealworms are able to sense their gaseous environments and appear to avoid environments that may be insalubrious to them.
Lynn Hatrzler, Ph.D (Advisor)
David Goldstein, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Barbara Hull, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
64 p.
Biology
Darkline beetles, Tenebrio molitor, Chemosensitivity,

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Patterson, A. K. (2016). Chemosensitivity in mealworms and Darkling beetles (Tenebrio molitor) across oxygen and carbon dioxide gradients [Master's thesis, Wright State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1472154010

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Patterson, Andrew. Chemosensitivity in mealworms and Darkling beetles (Tenebrio molitor) across oxygen and carbon dioxide gradients. 2016. Wright State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1472154010.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Patterson, Andrew. "Chemosensitivity in mealworms and Darkling beetles (Tenebrio molitor) across oxygen and carbon dioxide gradients." Master's thesis, Wright State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1472154010

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

wright1472154010
2,128
© 2016, some rights reserved.Creative Commons License Chemosensitivity in mealworms and Darkling beetles (Tenebrio molitor) across oxygen and carbon dioxide gradients by Andrew King Patterson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at etd.ohiolink.edu.
This open access ETD is published by Wright State University and OhioLINK.