Laboratory Report: Understanding Termite Behavior in Response to Different Writing Materials

Categories: Biology

Report, Pages 3 (537 words)

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Termites are fascinating insects that play crucial ecological roles. Among their various behaviors, their ability to follow trails is particularly intriguing. This experiment aims to explore why termites follow different paths when presented with figure eights drawn using various writing materials. The hypothesis suggests that termites are attracted to the scent of ink, specifically the pheromones present in ballpoint and rolling ball pens. This attraction is explained by the similarity between the drying agents in ballpoint pens and the unsaturated aliphatic alcohol in termite trails.

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Materials:

Black crayon
Black colored pencil
Black Bic pen
Black marker
Black Pilot pen
Black Papermate pen
Six pieces of white paper

Procedures:

Draw figure eights on white paper using each writing material.
Place four termites on the same paper.
Time the termites for two minutes on each paper.
Count the number of termites following the figure eight.
Repeat the above steps for each writing material.
Conduct two trials to ensure reliability.

Experimental Data:

The recorded data was organized into a table, detailing the writing material, the number of termites following the figure eight, and the results from two trials.

Writing Material	Trial 1 (Termites)	Trial 2 (Termites)
Black Crayon	0	0
Black Colored Pencil	0	0
Black Bic Pen	4	4
Black Marker	0	0
Black Pilot Pen	2	1
Black Papermate Pen	4	4

To visualize the results, a bar graph was created, displaying the number of termites on the y-axis and the writing materials on the x-axis. Two sets of bars represented the two trials, one in blue and the second in red.

Discussion:

The data revealed that pens, especially ballpoint pens (Bic and Papermate), were the most successful in attracting termites.

Both ballpoint pens had all four termites follow the figure eights in the two-minute period for both trials. The rolling ball pen (Pilot) showed some success, with two termites following in the first trial and one in the second. On the other hand, the non-pen writing materials (crayon, colored pencil, and marker) did not attract any termites.

This aligns with the initial hypothesis that termites are attracted to the scent of ink, particularly the pheromones found in ballpoint pens. The drying agents in ballpoint pens, which contain glycol derivatives, are believed to mimic the termite trail's unsaturated aliphatic alcohol. The success of the experiment suggests that the termites are responding to these chemical similarities, reinforcing the connection between the pen ink and termite communication.

Potential Errors and Improvements:

One potential error in the experiment was the use of different termites during the second trial due to an interruption. To enhance the accuracy of the results, it is crucial to avoid interruptions that may necessitate the use of different termites. Maintaining consistency in termite selection ensures that any observed differences are attributed to the writing materials rather than individual termite behavior.

In conclusion, the experiment successfully demonstrated that termites are attracted to the scent of ink, particularly in ballpoint pens. The data supported the hypothesis, showing that termites followed figure eights drawn with pens, while non-pen writing materials failed to elicit a response. This suggests a correlation between the chemical composition of pen ink and termite communication pheromones. Further studies could delve deeper into the specific chemicals involved, providing valuable insights into termite behavior and potentially offering eco-friendly solutions for termite control.