Manduca Caterpillar Growth Experiment

Do It Yourself Manduca Experiment

Want to do your own experiment? Then this is the place to be. We have complete instructions on building and running your own experiment. There are also results at the end of this page from our own DIY experiment. You can use our data to compare with your own experiment results. Complete instuctions and printable resouce packet are listed below.

DIY steps using the scientific method

Question: How will temperature affect the growth of Manduca over time?

Generate your own hypothesis and predictions about what will happen. 

Collect your data

  1. Use your Do it Yourself student handout to guide you through growing your own Manduca from egg, to caterpillar, to pupae, and all the way to an adult moth.
  2. You can click on the animation link for either temperature window below to get a sneak peek at what you might see.

Analyze your data

  1. Plot graphs of your data (length vs. days and mass vs. days) for both temperatures using this link or your own Excel sheet to determine if there are real differences between the different temperature groups.
  2. Use the analysis questions from your full virtual lab student handout along with the information about temperature, Manduca, and animal growth on this website to help you interpret your data.
  3. Optional: Compare the data from your Manduca’s to the Manduca that we reared using the same methods that you did. See the Do It Yourself student handout for instructions on how to do this.

* Full featured virtual experiment supported by all browsers except Internet Explorer.

Manduca Grown at 23°C

Manduca 01 (Home/Classroom 23°C)
Day 1
Mass in grams (g): 0.001118

Manduca Grown at 30°C

Manduca 01 (Home/Classroom 30°C)
Day 1
Mass in grams (g): 0.001137

View Citation

You may need to edit author's name to meet the style formats, which are in most cases "Last name, First name."

Bibliographic details:

  • Article: Manduca Growth Experiment
  • Author(s): Dr. Biology
  • Publisher: Arizona State University School of Life Sciences Ask A Biologist
  • Site name: ASU - Ask A Biologist
  • Date published: December 29, 2016
  • Date accessed: March 7, 2024
  • Link: https://askabiologist.asu.edu/manduca/homegrown

APA Style

Dr. Biology. (2016, December 29). Manduca Growth Experiment. ASU - Ask A Biologist. Retrieved March 7, 2024 from https://askabiologist.asu.edu/manduca/homegrown

American Psychological Association. For more info, see http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/

Chicago Manual of Style

Dr. Biology. "Manduca Growth Experiment". ASU - Ask A Biologist. 29 December, 2016. https://askabiologist.asu.edu/manduca/homegrown

MLA 2017 Style

Dr. Biology. "Manduca Growth Experiment". ASU - Ask A Biologist. 29 Dec 2016. ASU - Ask A Biologist, Web. 7 Mar 2024. https://askabiologist.asu.edu/manduca/homegrown

Modern Language Association, 7th Ed. For more info, see http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/08/

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