The adaptiveness of diet in Blaberus discoidalis
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Start Date
23-4-2026 12:00 AM
Description
The consumption of nutrients such as carbohydrates and protein is absolutely necessary to growth, survival, and reproduction in animals, including in our study organism, Blaberus discoidalis. In our experiment, we sought to answer the question of whether food preference is adaptive in the subtropical cockroach species Blaberus discoidalis. To study this, we provided three different diets to three experimental groups of B. discoidalis and measured the mass of the discoids who were subjected to each respective diet. One group received a 5:1 ratio of a high carbohydrate diet of oats, another a 5:1 ratio of a high protein diet of shrimp pellets with some oats mixed in, and the third group received a control diet of leaf litter. Statistical analysis was done to determine the rate of growth in each treatment and the statistical significance, and survival rates for each treatment were calculated. The results indicate that a high protein diet leads to a faster rate of mass increase in the individuals in the high protein treatment group.
Recommended Citation
Morrison, Reed; Dill, Elizabeth; and Sellers, Hallie, "The adaptiveness of diet in Blaberus discoidalis" (2026). 2026 Student Academic Showcase. 6.
https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/src_2026/oral_presentation/1/6
The adaptiveness of diet in Blaberus discoidalis
The consumption of nutrients such as carbohydrates and protein is absolutely necessary to growth, survival, and reproduction in animals, including in our study organism, Blaberus discoidalis. In our experiment, we sought to answer the question of whether food preference is adaptive in the subtropical cockroach species Blaberus discoidalis. To study this, we provided three different diets to three experimental groups of B. discoidalis and measured the mass of the discoids who were subjected to each respective diet. One group received a 5:1 ratio of a high carbohydrate diet of oats, another a 5:1 ratio of a high protein diet of shrimp pellets with some oats mixed in, and the third group received a control diet of leaf litter. Statistical analysis was done to determine the rate of growth in each treatment and the statistical significance, and survival rates for each treatment were calculated. The results indicate that a high protein diet leads to a faster rate of mass increase in the individuals in the high protein treatment group.