Training Blaptica dubia

[VolkswagenBug]

For my biology class, I'm performing an experiment on Blaptica dubia to observe whether they can be trained to respond specifically to a positive external stimulus as opposed to simply switching their likes and dislikes. What I'm doing in a nutshell is feeding sugar-enhanced mangoes to the dubia after playing a buzzing noise for 5 seconds. I'll continue doing so until I see the roaches visibly expecting food when it plays. Additionally, there is a control group which simply get the sugar-enhanced mangoes. I'm sure the others would be very jealous of the control group if they could experience jealousy.
For those of you who are interested in the results, which I expect to be positive like the peppermint experiment, you can reply to or follow this thread, as it's where I'll be posting updates.

 

[arachnoherp]

Im kind of curious about how this will go keep it updated

 

[arachnoherp]

Do you feel your results may vary from nymph to mature roach?

 

[boina]

until I see the roaches visibly expecting food

What kind of behaviour are you looking for? What does a roach do when it's expecting food?

 

[miss moxie]

What kind of behaviour are you looking for? What does a roach do when it's expecting food?

They look skyward, hold out a chipped bowl with quivering hands and say 'Please ma'am...may I 'ave some more?'

I thought you knew things, boina. tsk.

This is why we need an 'interesting' rating. We have helpful and useful which seem pretty much synonymous in my opinion. We need an interesting rating!

 

[VolkswagenBug]

What kind of behaviour are you looking for? What does a roach do when it's expecting food?

That is one of the main concerns that I've had with the experiment. As I'm putting food in the same place every time, I was thinking they might move over to that place or begin exiting the hides that I've provided.

 

[VolkswagenBug]

This is why we need an 'interesting' rating. We have helpful and useful which seem pretty much synonymous in my opinion. We need an interesting rating!

Absolutely. I've wanted one of those so many times, but had to settle for "like."

 

[VolkswagenBug]

Do you feel your results may vary from nymph to mature roach?

Possibly and that would be an interesting variation on the experiment, but I only have the money, time, and ability to test it on adults at the moment.

 

[miss moxie]

Just for future reference, if you click the +Quote button at the bottom right corner of the posts you want to respond to, and then go to the bottom where the reply box is, there will be a box at the bottom left 'Insert Quotes' where you can choose to add all of them to one single post. Not that it matters, but since you're new-ish I figured I'd let you know about it.

I think it would be interesting if one had the time to try this training (if successful) on nymphs to a certain size, quit for a while, and then play the noise and see if they still respond. That would establish that they have the capacity to remember long term.

Though I can't see how any of this would be particularly useful, but it sure would be fascinating all the same.

 

[boina]

That is one of the main concerns that I've had with the experiment. As I'm putting food in the same place every time, I was thinking they might move over to that place or begin exiting the hides that I've provided.

You could measure how much time it takes for the first roaches to leave their hide after you sound your buzzer. At first it probably would take forever, so you'd need a fixed time after which to stop measuring, because otherwise you'll die from boredom. But once they'll learn they will come out faster (hopefully). That way you'd have a measurement telling you how many times you need to repeat the feeding until the roaches learn what to expect.

 

[VolkswagenBug]

You could measure how much time it takes for the first roaches to leave their hide after you sound your buzzer. At first it probably would take forever, so you'd need a fixed time after which to stop measuring, because otherwise you'll die from boredom. But once they'll learn they will come out faster (hopefully). That way you'd have a measurement telling you how many times you need to repeat the feeding until the roaches learn what to expect.

I like that idea, I think I'll try doing that. I've fed them normally right after the buzzer sounds, but just twice, so I can probably switch to that method next feeding without ill effects. You're the professional biologist, though, so if that's a bad idea, let me know.

Just for future reference, if you click the +Quote button at the bottom right corner of the posts you want to respond to, and then go to the bottom where the reply box is, there will be a box at the bottom left 'Insert Quotes' where you can choose to add all of them to one single post. Not that it matters, but since you're new-ish I figured I'd let you know about it.

I do know about this, but I often just end up replying as I read through new responses rather than adding them to the quote button. In fact, I accidentally did it when first responding to your post.

 

[elportoed]

Are you going to starve them before the experiment? Don't they have some kind of senses to locate food? If so, you starve them, whether you play the buzzer, wouldn't they be searching for food anyway? May be their brains or lack thereof, don't process that kind of response. Will this experiment be named volkswagenbug dubias (as supposed to Pavlov dogs)?

 

[VolkswagenBug]

Are you going to starve them before the experiment? Don't they have some kind of senses to locate food? If so, you starve them, whether you play the buzzer, wouldn't they be searching for food anyway? May be their brains or lack thereof, don't process that kind of response. Will this experiment be named volkswagenbug dubias (as supposed to Pavlov dogs)?

No. Yes. No - not being starved. I don't know about the name.

 

[chanda]

I think it would be interesting if one had the time to try this training (if successful) on nymphs to a certain size, quit for a while, and then play the noise and see if they still respond. That would establish that they have the capacity to remember long term.

Though I can't see how any of this would be particularly useful, but it sure would be fascinating all the same.

It would be useful when the dang dubias bury themselves in the substrate in the enclosure of whatever other inverts I'm trying to feed them to. Just play the triggering noise - and voila! Out they come - and dinner is served!