6 - Ecology of insects

Question 1

refers to all the organisms in a given area as well as the abiotic factors with which they interact

Answer 1

ecosystem

Question 2

two components of an ecosystem and their examples

Answer 2

biotic: flora and fauna

abiotic: water, sunlight, temperature, humidity, soil

Question 3

(a) __________ refers to the place where the organism lives, while (b) __________ is how the organism lives in its (a)

Answer 3

a) habitat
b) niche

Question 4

in simpler terms, habitat is the __________ of the organism, while niche is its __________.

Answer 4

address ; occupation

Question 5

4 primary environmental factors that affect insect growth

Answer 5

moisture, humidity, temperature, weather

Question 6

feeding habits: food type

feed on plants

Answer 6

phytophagus

Question 7

feeding habits: food type

feed on animal parts and products. can be further divided into two, which are… (?)

Answer 7

zoophagous / carnivorous

1) insectivore (feed on other insects)
2) hematophagous (feed on blood)

Question 8

feeding habits: food type

feed on both plants and animal matter

Answer 8

omnivorous

Question 9

feeding habits: food type

insects that feed on decaying matter

Answer 9

saprophagous / scavengers

Question 10

give examples for each type of feeding habits based on food type

Answer 10

phytophagous: Darwin’s hawkmoth
zoophagous: [insectivore] common robberfly; [hematophagous] mosquito
saprophagous: dung beetles

Question 11

feeding habits: number of food items

1) feed only on a single food item
2) feed on few specific kinds of food
3) feed on multiple food items

Answer 11

1) monophagous
2) oligophagous
3) polyphagous

Question 12

True or False. most agriculturally important pests are oligophagous.

Answer 12

False. Most are polyphagous.

Question 13

Interaction between individuals of different species.

Answer 13

interspecific interactions

Question 14

give the 7 interspecific interactions

Answer 14

competition
commensalism
parasitism
predation
herbivory
amensalism
mutualism

Question 15

classify whether the following interspecific interactions have positive or negative effects on the survival/reproduction of the species involved

1) competition
2) predation
3) herbivory
4) parasitism
5) amensalism
6) mutualism
7) commensalism

Answer 15

competition (- / -)
predation (+ predator / - prey)
herbivory (+ herbivore / - plant)
parasitism (+ parasite / - host)
amensalism (- / 0)
mutualism (+ / +)
commensalism (+ / 0)

Question 16

a type of parasite where their immature stage spends its life inside the body of their host, slowly eating their body fluids and organs before bursting their way out

Answer 16

parasitoids

Question 17

the behavior exhibited by mites attaching themselves on wings of this male bumblebee to hitchhike

Answer 17

phoresy