Mealworm behavior

By Tekai Smiley
 Question
How do varying environmental factors
such as (hot or cold, dark or light, wet or
dry) affect the behavior of mealworms
(Tenebrio molitor)?
 Hypothesis
Varying environmental factors such as temperature, light, and moisture
levels significantly influence the behavior of mealworms, with warmer
temperatures, brighter light, or higher moisture levels likely leading to
increased activity and exploration behaviors compared to colder
temperatures, darker conditions, or drier environments.
 Experiment Data
Independent Dependent
Constant
Variable Variable
The independent The constant would
The dependent
variable would be how long the
variable would be how
be the different mealworms would be
the meal worms would
environment in and environment
react to the different
at a time
types of environment
Materials/Procedure Steps
- Put the mealworms in the
Materials Need experiment container (nothing
else in it)
- Pencil and paper - Divide the container into two
- Container of mealworms equal sections
- Long contain to put the - Select one side of the container
mealworms in during the to be the hot the other side
experiment cold or light and dark or dry
- Timer and wet
- Heat source - Start a time for 30 mins
- Lighting source - Repeat for each combination of
environments
Dark Vs Light Cold Vs Hot Wet Vs Dry
 Results
Hot Vs Cold

Preferred to be clumped up in a corner

on the cold side

Light Vs Dark

A little more spread out but mostly

remand on the darker side

Dry Vs Wet

Did not go near the wet side remand

only on the dry side
Discussion
● Add a control by putting the mealworms in a
room temperature container then switching
the environment.
● The data may be slight off due to the large
quantity of mealworms
● The experiment could be more precise, but
with the lack of resources and equipment
allowed for this data
Conclusion
It was predicted that warmer
temperatures, brighter light, or higher
moisture levels likely leading to
increased activity and exploration
behaviors compared to colder
temperatures, darker conditions, or
drier environments.
The data shows that the hypothesis
was somewhat true. At the start the
mealworms where more active, but
tend to stay on the colder
temperatures, darker conditions, or
drier environments.
Thanks