Reagan Johnson

Ms. Berrend
Biology
04/23/15
The Geotaxis of Galleria Mellonella and Tenebrio Molitor Under Various Light
Conditions
Hypothesis
When the Tenebrio Molitor and the Galleria Mellonella are under full lighting
the geotaxis will be more negative than positive. When the Tenebrio Molitor
and the Galleria Mellonella are under half-light the geotaxis of the Tenebrio
Molitor will be negative, but the geotaxis of the galleria mellonella will be
nether positive or negative they will just stay there. When the Tenebrio
Molitor and the Galleria Mellonella are in the dark they will both have a
negative geotaxis.
Methods
Get a long wood board, and sand it intell the board is rough. Draw a line in
the center of the board. Get the two worms Galleria mellonella and Tenebrio
molitor, place four of each in two different small cups. Places first the
Galleria Mellonella on the center line drawn on the wood board. Test the two
worms in three different light concisions full light, half-light, and in the dark.

If the worm has a negative or positive geotaxis writes down the worms
geotaxis, also write down if the worm stays where it is when it is place on the
board. Write down the information that is found in a neat data table. Test the
two groups of worms 7 times in each light condition. Record the data from
the experiment.
Data
Table1- the geotaxis of meal worms

dark
Half light
Full light

Positive geotaxis

Negative

No geotaxis

10
6
7

geotaxis
24
46
33

27
9
13

Positive geotaxis

Negative

No geotaxis

10
28
19

geotaxis
52
44
26

20
17
26

Table2- geotaxis of wax worms

dark
Half light
Full light

Results

The meal worms had 23 positive geotaxis in all lights, but the wax

worms have 57 positive geotaxis

the wax worms had more negative geotaxis in dark light than any
other light

the meal worms had more negative geotaxis in half-light than any

other light
both wax and meal worms have 10 positive geotaxis in the dark
wax worms have 26 no geotaxis in full light

chart1 Meal worms

50
45
40
35
30

positive

25

negitive

20

no

15
10
5
0
dark

Chart2 meal worms

half light

full light

60
50
40
positve

30

negitive
no

20
10
0
full light

dark

half light

Conclusion
My hypothesis was not supported by that data found in this experiment.
Because I thought that the meal worms would have more positive geotaxis
then negative, also I thought that the wax worms would have more positive
than negative geotaxis. Both of these thoughts I had were not supported by
my data. One way to improve this experiment is by watching the meal and
wax worms at different parts of the day with different lights, in their natural
habitat. This would show how the insects acts in nature were they are not
forced to do something, and they can act natural.