Reflection!

Over the whole year from the beginning to now, I have started from deciding my own topic to conducting and rounding up my own research on the sexual behaviors of pill bugs. Although the key factor in this experiment is time, I am glad that I was able to finish the four cycles and theoretically prove my hypothesis that the “male effect” does exists. In fact, the statement is already proven by purely observing the stages of growth the baby pill bugs are in right now. Currently, the biggest challenge is counting the pill bugs, for the purpose of statistical prove and analysis. My mentor, Mr. Calos, wish for me to publish a paper or report next year, so the statistical data is very important and will accurately support my hypothesis with real proof. When completing my poster, my report has been laid out with a format of a formal lab report, so the information that I have written will be useful for that. To reflect on my internship for this past year, I would like to present some of the challenges I have come across. First, it was gender determination. To determine the gender of pill bugs under the microscope can be tricky, and I have to be extra careful to not make a mistake, hence I have to observe each bug for at least 30 seconds with more than just a few looks at the hind legs to confirm its gender and minimize errors. I have improved in doing this in a less timely manner, which is satisfying. Second, it was managing the living environment for pill bugs. Pill bugs entertain moist areas; therefore the spraying of the tank has to be maintained on a regular basis, while balancing the risk of growing molds or fungi in the tanks. Even now, the growing of fungi occurs but the most helpful thing to do is to just remove them and re-feed the bugs. Third, it is challenging to run two separate trials at the same time, because the difference between the two outcomes makes it tough to determine whether the hypothesis is defeated or supported based on just the different outcomes. While the most recent challenge is to count bugs quickly and using bare eyes to spot them takes a very long time, I am enjoying the process of seeing little pill bugs climb up and out of the soil. Some successes I have experienced are the regular schedule that the cycles lie on, easily allowing the time control to be more accurate and fair to the other sets of pill bugs. Another is gaining the skills of sexing bugs as I become more effective. Time-management planning also plays a vital role in this experiment. I was able to keep the two interactions with males in the same timeframe. Although the four cycles of the experiment ended, I am still working in my final stage of counting the bugs, but an early thanks to Mr. Calos for his guidance and help all along.

Cycle 4!

Exciting news, it worked! New babies are born in Box #8, my second experiment trial (using Boxes #5-8) is actually closer to my predicted results than my first trial. The babies found in box #8 are newborn, they are so tiny compare to the ones in box #6, and they are still white, not transparent (as they develop transparent layers and a dark line in the middle of their body when they get older). The comparison mainly lies between box #7 to box #8, with box #8 having an additional encounter with a male for two more hours than the ones in box #7.  The first trial is also going well, with babies appearing in box #4, but interestingly enough, box #3 has no babies. This is the end of the experimental period, even though my results in my first trial and my second trail vary a little bit between each other, I have proven two things: prolonged presence does have an influence on the pregnancy period of the female, secondly, that female pill bugs can still reproduce with no male presence.

Here’s a picture of a baby in box #6 with the parent, compare the size:

The size of one baby is tiny compare to a grown pill bug.