Biol 111 Research Project Proposal

Arash Askary
Denis Valyuk and Brock Jenken
20 October 2015
Background Info
Mealworms (despite the misleading name) are of the class Insecta, taking the larva
of the Tenebrio Beetle (Tenebrio molitor). Mealworms are often used as both a food
source for domesticated reptiles and mammals as well as an example of a life cycle
containing metamorphosis. They have a comparably average life cycle; it takes
approximately 16 weeks to develop [from an egg] into an egg-laying adult (Martin
64). As larva, Tenebrio Beetles measure upwards of 2.5cm in length while adults
they measure from about 1.25cm to 1.8cm (14 Finke).
Maintaining an environment for mealworms is relatively straightforward: maintain
humidity, temperature, sunlight, and food. Maintaining a high humidity allows for
faster metabolic rates and increased growth, for they [grow] faster at high than low
humidities (Martin 64); 70% [Relative Humidity] is therefore recommended as
optional (Martin 64). Mealworms prefer a minimum temperature of 25C, but
keeping the temperature to 30C will greatly increase growth rates (Martin 64). In
terms of lighting, no special lighting is required, as a normal day and night cycle of
light will be fine (Mealworms). Mealworms can be kept in a substrate of oats and
bran with apple slices added in (Martin 64).
The type of sugar often determines an organisms ability to process it; mono- and
disaccharides such as sucrose and fructose are processed faster and more easily
than polysaccharides such as amylopectin. Sugar types play an important factor in
human diet, and the two often serve different purposes, i.e., simple sugars can be
used to target blood sugar while starches can be used consumed to promote
glycogen stores.
Despite many articles on the Tenebrio beetle and its needs for development, not
many discuss the effects of diet on neither the resultant duration from larva to adult
nor the final weight of the beetle. The Tenebrio beetle was chosen as the target
species due to its ideal required time for metamorphosis (can be done within the
required six weeks) and its ability to be measured (they are larger and slower as
opposed to Drosophila which are smaller and more mobile). The goal of this
experiment is to determine the correlation between diet and both the consequential
duration of maturity and final weight.

Hypothesis
If Tenebrio molitor are exposed to mono- and disaccharides in their larval stage,
then both the time it takes to fully mature will decrease and their final size will
increase. If Tenebrio molitor are exposed to only polysaccharides instead of simple
sugars, then their critical size will be comparably smaller and their maturation
period will be longer in comparison to the beetles fed simple sugars.

Methodology
Procedure
1. In every container add a 3-5cm layer a 50-50 mixture of oats and cereal. In one
container add an additional supplement of apple and carrot slices and another
add a supplement of potato slices (keep the final container without
supplements). Place a lid over the container to help maintain humidity (poke
holes to ensure oxygen exchange).
2. Place 25 mealworms in each container.
3. Place the container in a location that is not directly lit by sunlight or artificial
lighting.
4. Every week: spray 5 mL of water into the container to maintain humidity and
add supplements if necessary to maintain surplus of supplements.
5. Check every day for metamorphosed mealworms. If present, count the number,
and write down the sex and size of each (length x width x depth). If present,
remove dead mealworms and make note of the container from which it was
taken.
6. If either mold or the smell of ammonia develops, move the mealworm into a new
container with new oats (and substrate if applicable).
Treatments
Two treatments are present in the experiment: one with simple sugars found in the
apples and carrots, and one with complex sugars found in the potatoes.
Control
One container will contain no supplement, having only substrate, and will act as the
control. Other controlled variable are the room temperature (21C), amount of
sunlight (kept in a dark area of the room) and humidity (5 mL of water added via
spraying per week).
Replication
25 mealworms will be in each container, allowing a maximum of 25 results to be
taken for each container, accounting for outliers.
Randomization
One partner will give a beetle to another partner to measure; the measuring partner
will not be told from which container the beetle was obtained to avoid bias.

Equipment List and Members Tasks

Materials
75 mealworms, 3 Tupperware containers, a standard box of oats, a box of low sugar
content cereal, a ruler, 2 potatoes, 5 apples, 2 carrots.
Requested materials
75 mealworms
Tasks
Both partners will perform the following:
a. Go out to purchase required equipment.
b. Set up the containers (steps 1-3).
c. Perform routine checks (merely visual checks- no addition of water or
food).
d. Analyze results and partake in the measuring process.
Partner 1 will perform the following:
a. Remove dead larvae/beetles.
b. Move beetles/larvae/pupae to another container if necessary (due to mold
or ammonia).
c. Collect and hold beetles during measurement without telling partner 2 the
container of origin
Partner 2 will perform the following:
a. Spray containers with water on a weekly basis.
b. Add supplements if necessary.
c. Clean the specimen-free containers that were emptied due to
mold/ammonia presence.
d. Measure the beetles without knowing the container of origin.

Partner 1 signature:

Partner 2 signature:

x_______________________

x_______________________
Works Cited

Finke, M. and D. Winn. (2004). Insects and related arthropods: A nutritional primer
for rehabilitators. Journal of Wildlife Rehabilitation 14-17.
Martin, R. D., J. P. W Rivers, and U. M. Cowgill. Culturing Mealworms as Food for
Animals in Captivity. 1st ed. Vol. 16. N.p.: Blackwell, 1976. Print. International Zoo
Yearbook.
"Mealworms." Mealwormcareorg Mealworms Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct.
2015.