Fruitemp: Design, implementation and analysis for an open-source temperature logger applied to fruit fly host experimentation

Abstract

FruiTemp is an open-source prototype developed to study the response of endophytic insect species such as fruit flies (Diptera: Tephrtidae) to variable temperature conditions including the controlled laboratory and fluctuating field settings. The system is a three-channel temperature sensor that consists of two precision thermistors that measure the temperature in the core and the surface of a fruit on a tree and a Harsh Environment thermistor that measures the air temperature surrounding the host at a rate of one measurement per 15 min. The sample rate can be adjusted according to the researcher’s needs. The system was successfully tested in field and laboratory experimental conditions using apples as the fruit model. The measurements on apples on trees lasted five consecutive days and produced a range of reliable data. After assessing statistical agreement and precision, the results revealed a differential bias of 0.331◦C and a proportional bias of a magnitude of 0.982. This work promotes open-source implementations allowing inexpensive solutions aiding experimentation procedures by significantly lowering operating costs.