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FGASA Level 2 > Arthropods > Flashcards

Arthropods Flashcards

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1
Q

Name the 3 different terrestrial Phylums that arthropods are classified in

A

Annelida(segmented worms)
Mollusca(molluscs)
Arthropoda(arthropods)

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2
Q

How are arthropods classified?

A

Consist of 4 lineages
-trilobitomorpha(extinct)
-Chelicerata(scorpions, spiders, tics and mites)
-Uniramia(centipedes,millepedes and insects)
-crustacea( barnacles, shrimps, lobsters, hermit and true crabs)

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3
Q

What are the 4 sub- phylums of arthropods?

A

Hexapoda- insects
Myriapoda- millipedes and centipedes
Chelicerata- spiders, scorpions, solifuges, ticks and mites
Crustacea- lobsters, shrimp, barnacles, crayfish, crabs

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4
Q

In what two sub classes and orders are insects classified in ?

A

Apterygota- all primitive wingless insects that do little to no metamorphosis
sub-classes(two orders)- jumping bristletails(archaeognatha) and silverfishes(thysanura)

Pterygota(meaning winged)- subclass of insects that includes winged insects
Includes insects orders that are secondarily winged less( ancestors had wings and lost then through evolution)
Group further divided in:
exopterygote(external wings)- incomplete metamorphosis or simple life cycle
&
endopterygote(internal wings)- complete metamorphosis or complex life cycles

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5
Q

Briefly explain where insect sense organs are located and to what stimuli they respond to ?

A

Insects have keen sensory perception with their sense organs being microscopic and being mostly located in the body wall, each type responding to a specific stimulus such as mechanical, auditory, chemical, visual and so on.

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6
Q

Briefly explain mechanoreception of insects

A

Refers to mechanical stimuli, involving touch, vibration and pressure detected by sensillia( hair like process connected to a nerve cell or nerve ending just under the cuticle lacking area) or a more complex organ with sensory cells with their endings attached to the body wall.
These types of organs are widely distributed over legs, antennas and body and are used in the detection and dispersal of pheromones

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7
Q

Briefly explain Chemoreception in insects

A

Chemoreceptors,for taste and smell, usually in the form of bundles of sensory cell processes often found in sensory pits( usually on insect mouth parts)
Also found on antennas of many species
Or for butterflies, moths and flies on the tarsi of the legs
Chemical sense of insects very good, able to detect certain smells Kms away
Eg, increase in nearby CO2 levels let mosquitoes know there is a potential host, leading resting mosquitoes to fly and use other cues such as warmth and moisture to find the host.

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8
Q

Where are antennae of insects found ?

A

Located between the eyes on the forehead

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9
Q

Do all insects have antennae ?

A

Yes, they are however greatly reduced in larval forms.

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10
Q

What are antennae of insects ?

A

Segmented appendages that function primarily in chemoreception and mechanoreception

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11
Q

Explain the shape of insect antennae

A

Most are elongate and cylindrical, although elaborations into plumose, lamellate or pectinate forms have been recorded in different insect lineages

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12
Q

What are the 3 parts of an insect antenna ?

A

The scape
The pedicel
The flagellum

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13
Q

Explain what the scape on an insect antenna is and how it works ?

A

The scape is the first segment of an insects antenna and is attached to the head by a rim of flexible, intersegmental cuticle.
Movements of the antenna are controlled by one of two pairs of muscles that attach to the inside of the head with the other end attached inside the scape.

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14
Q

What is the pedicel of an insect antenna and what role does it play ?

A

Is the second segment of the antennae
A second set of muscles running from the scape attach to the pedicel allowing for movement of the antennae in almost any direction

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15
Q

What is the flagellum of an insect antenna and what is its role?

A

The final section of the antennae
Primary function is assessment of chemical and physical characteristics of the environment

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16
Q

What are antennae used for ?

A

To smell via olfactory receptors that bind free floating molecules such as water vapour and odours including pheromones. Receptors signal this binding and send action potentials down axons to antennal lobes in the brain which connect to ‘mushroom bodies’ in the brain that identify the smell
to feel they can sense hot and cold listen to sounds or detect movement of air or wind
Some insects such as butterflies possess Antennal clocks for proper time compensated solar compass orientation during migration.
Some hawk moths antennae aid in flight stabilisation

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17
Q

Differentiate between the two types of insects eyes

A

There are two types of insects eyes namely
simple- found in insect nymphs, larvae and in adults, most insects have three simple eyes(ocelli) on their head
Not always used to for a image- eg honeybees use them to monitor light intensity and photoperiod(length of daylight) not actually form images
compound- most adult insects have compound eyes that cover the whole head- DO NOT see a kaleidoscope of images as depicted in movies.

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18
Q

Explain how compound eyes of insects work.

A

Insects have multiple lenses that take in light from their surroundings, after this light is transferred into electrical energy and travels two the brain. Hete the visual info is combined and forms just one image that allows insects to to make a decision based on its surroundings

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19
Q

What are compound eyes of insects composed of ?

A

Ommatidia

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20
Q

Explain the ommatidia in insects eyes and the roll it plays in insect eye sight

A

An ommatidium contains a cluster of photoreceptor cells surrounded by support and pigment cells
Each outer part of the ommatidium is overlaid with a transparent cornea
Each ommatidium provides the brain with one picture element and the brain forms an image from these independent picture elements.

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21
Q

What does the “seeing” in an insect ?
And how does it work ?

A

The rhabdom in each ommatidium
Light is focused on the lens and onto the rhabdom and photopigments are stimulated

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22
Q

Can insects with compound eyes see in HD ? And how ?

A

Yes they can
The photoreceptor cells in compound eyes react to images in motion
The outer lenses(thousands that form a net like structure) don’t move but the photoreceptor cells below the lenses move rapidly and automatically in and out of focus as they sample the world around them
The way insect compound eyes sample an image is tuned to their natural behaviours.
By combining their normal head/ eye movement and the microscopic twitching of the photoreceptors they gain hyper acute vision

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23
Q

Do insects actually hear ? Explain ?

A

Yes in some cases, extremely sensitive setae(hair sensillia) or Tympanal organs may detect specific frequencies of airborne sounds
Most insects are insensitive to airborne sounds but can detect vibrations reaching them through the substrate

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24
Q

Which 9 orders of insects among the 29 are known to have existing hearing ?

A

Orthoptera(crickets,grasshopper’s,katydids)
Homoptera(cicadas)
Heteroptera( bugs)
Lepidoptera(butterflies and moths)
Diptera(flies)

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25
Q

What is the most obvious difference between one insects ears to another?

A

Location

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26
Q

How does insect hearing work ? Spesically mosquitos

A

Nearby sound drives fast moving air molecules into the hairs on the mosquitos antenna causing antennal shaft to vibrate
These vibrations travel down antennae to Johnstons organ(packed with 15000 motion sensitive receptors tuned to hear the sound of another mosquito in flight)
Males use this to locate mates
These receptors also act to amplify vibrations in the antenna

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27
Q

What is the Johnston’s organ ?

A

A collection of sensory cells found in the pedicel of the antennae of insects
Johnstons organ detects movement in The flagellum

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28
Q

Explain how hearing in Katydids work

A

-Katydid ears are highly sophisticated
-They have broad band hearing frequency analysis
-The ears, one per foreleg, each have two eardrums, which vibrate in response to sound
-These vibrations cause the tympanal plate to rock up and down- transmitting the vibrations to the fluid in the auditory vesicle.
-The result is tsunami like travelling wave which rolls over the Christa acustica where a line of sensor cells pick out different frequencies and relay info to the brain
- a second internal channel transfers sound vibrations through the thorax through a tracheal tube that runs from the acoustic spiracle(pore) to the inner surface of the tympanum.
- thus the katydid therefore receives the same signal twice once internally and once externally
- difference between the two helps determine the source of the sound

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29
Q

What are the differences between dragon flies and damselflies?

A
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30
Q

What does Odonata mean ? Explain their key features

A

It means toothed and refers to the sharp teeth om the jaws of dragon and damselflies
Their legs are armed with immobile bristles which together form a basket like trap in which they scoop up prey as they dart through the air

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31
Q

Why does the colour on the bodies of Odonata fade after death ?

A

This happens because the bodies colours are produced by epidermal pigments which de nature after death
The wing colour is a result from light being reflected off the surface in a particular way depending on the micro texturing

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32
Q

Explain the mating behaviour of dragonflies

A

-Before mating male bends his abdomen forwards in order to transfer sperm from the tip of the abdomen to a pouch under the third abdominal segment
-The male then flies of in search of a mate
- once a mate is found the male has claspers at the rear of the abdomen used to hold the female firmly behind het head.
- female then bends her abdomen forward until the tip touches the males sperm pouch
- sperm transferred while at rest and they are often seen flying around in tandem

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33
Q

Explain the egg laying process of dragonflies

A

-The male why try to maintain a hold on the female while she lays her eggs, or may hover above her to prevent other males from mating with her
-Dragon and damselflies are seen skimming over the water briefly touching, laying their eggs which then drift down to the bottom of the pool
-Females may also drill a hole into the stems of leaves and plants with the sharp projecting ovipositor at the tip of the abdomen.
- she will lay 5-6 in a row and then move to the next plant

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34
Q

How long does it take dragon fly eggs to hatch ?

A

They can stay dormant across the whole winter or may hatch within two to three weeks after being laid

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35
Q

What is the total lifespan of dragonflies

A

6-8 weeks

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36
Q

Elaborate on dragonfly ane damselfly nymphs

A

-Nymphs are aquatic
-Vary in appearance: damselflies=slender, dragonflies= robust and squat
- all have well developed legs and signs of wing development as flaps on thorax
- nymph’s cast their skin 11-15 times in the coarse of their development
- some reach full size in a few weeks whistle others take a year or longer

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37
Q

Explain how dragonflies and damselflies are specially adapted with regards to feeding habits

A

-The lower lip of the mouth(labium) has been modified into a hinged extendable arm with a scoop at the end called the mask
-Normally held flat against the head, this structure gets rapidly shot out to seize their prey that are swimming or drifting past.

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38
Q

How do dragon and damselflies breathe?

A

-They generally have 3 leaf like gills(caudal lamellae) projecting from the posterior end of the body, used for respiration and movement

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39
Q

Explain the life cycle of a dragonfly nymph to a adult

A

-The nymph climbs up a stick or plant stem reaching above the water level.
- hangs by the claws of its legs and a split appears along the insects back
- adult emergence leaving behind old skin.
- wings unfold and harden
- adult flies of and life cycle starts over

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40
Q

What are glow worms and fireflies ?

A

-Neither worms nor flies , but in fact soft bodied beetles from the order coleoptera

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41
Q

What are you actually seeing when looking at fireflies or glow worms ?

A

Generally speaking when you see a “firefly” you are looking at a male and “glow worms” are a female

42
Q

How is the light of fireflies and glow worms created ?

A

-Underneath the tip of the abdomen has a ‘mirror’ consisting of air filled cells that are highly reflective.
-The actual light is triggered by nerve endings initiating a chemical enzyme reaction generating light

43
Q

Explain the chemical enzyme reaction causing light in fireflies and glow worms

A

Luciferin- luminous substance contained in the relative segment
luciferase oxidising enzyme in the blood

44
Q

Why do fireflies or glow worms light up ?

A

To help males find potential mates and for certain species to act as a attractor of potential prey

45
Q

What do fireflies feed on ?

A

-In the larvae stage they feed mainly on snails and slugs, paralysing their prey before sucking them empty
- adults do not eat except for some adult female they will eat males of a similar species

46
Q

Are fireflies/glow worms poisonous? How do we know this ?

A

The flickering is actually a form of aposematic coloration showing us that they are heavily poisonous when ingested

47
Q

What is the lifecycle and life span of glow worms and fireflies

A

Has a holometabolic life cycle consisting of egg,larvae, pups and adult
They typically live for about a year

48
Q

What is an antlion ?

A

Look similar to dragonflies in their adult forms
Large and clubbed antennae
Most active at night with clumsy flight patterns

49
Q

Explain the construction of antlion conical pits and the processes surrounding it

A

-They burrow backwards into loose sand which they flip out with their flat heads to make funnel traps
-They then lie and wait at the bottom of the pit just beneath the sand
- once an insect is detected at the top of the pit sand is through over in so it falls into the pit by using their flat head
- if “lucky” ant lions can reach full maturity within a couple of weeks or “unlucky” need a year or more

50
Q

How do antlions feed and why do they do this ?

A

They grab their prey with their large pincers taking them below the surface, injecting it with enzymes and then sucking out the digested body using the same hollow pincers in reverse
-They do this because ants have a very keen sense of smell, and thus antlion larvae can not afford to give if any trace of oder so both mouth and anus are sealed.
- waste products accumulate in the sealed rectum and gets left behind when the skin is shed at this point a new hole is made

51
Q

Give a brief classification of arachnids

A

Term arachnid is used to describe a class of arthropods which include scorpions, spiders, solifuges, whipscorpions , ticks and mites and certain 8 legged invertebrates

52
Q

Give a brief description of the body of an arachnid

A

Divided into two parts:
anterior - cephalothorax, containing sense organs, mouthparts and limbs in pairs- first pair chelicerae may for pincers or venom fangs, second pair known as pedipalps may serve as pincers, feelers or legs
Other pairs generally four used for walking
Posterior abdomen bears the genital opening and other structures.
Usually equipped with modified gills called book lungs

53
Q

What are the largest species of spider in south africa

A

Salticidae(jumping spiders)

54
Q

What are the 5 species of venomous spiders in south africa

A

Neurotoxic- black button spider
- brown button spider
cytotoxic- violin spider
- sac spider
- six eyed crab spider

55
Q

Name the two sub orders spiders are classified in

A

Mygalomorphs and Araneomorphs

56
Q

Name the 4 sub species scorpions are divided in

A

Bothuridae
Buthidae
Homuridae
Scorpionidae

57
Q

Briefly explain the mating behaviour in spiders

A

-Palps of spiders are uniquely modified as reproductive organs
- epigynum of female is also constructed in a unique manner as to only accept configuration with palp of male of the same species
- immature spiders sexual organs are non functional and only become active after final ecdysis( shedding or moulting of outerlayer of skin) when adult maturity is reached
- male spiders single aim in life is to find a mate

58
Q

Briefly explain how spiders generally mate ?

A

-Male charges his palps with seminal fluid before mating begins
- genital pore of male and female found on underside of abdomen between book lungs
- to transfer sperm from genital pore to palp, male constructs a small triangular square web just above the ground while standing above the web deposits a drop of sperm onto center of the web and then presses his pulp into the sperm
- drawing up the fluid via enlarged embolus of the pulp
- when male finds female he must convince her that he is from the same species and that he wants to mate or she will kill him

59
Q

Explain the courtship dances of spiders with good vision such as the wolf and jumping spiders

A
  • The males perform a dance to convince the female to mate with them and not kill them
  • wolf spider waves his pedipalps up and down in rhythmic movement while tapping the front front pair of legs on the ground.
  • slowly moves towards the female waiting for a signal that she is ready to accept him and not attack him
  • sometimes there is leg rubbing and touching before mating takes place
60
Q

What is the mating behaviour of some jumping spiders ?

A

-Have very brightly coloured hairs on their pedipalps,
-waving these and their first pair if legs raised above the head
- moves around female in an arc, waiting for her to accept him

61
Q

How do spiders court that do not have good eyesight ?

A

-Via leg tickling before full contact is made
- in web building spiders male comes to edge of the web plucking or tapping on the silk strands to announce his presence

62
Q

Explain the courtship of golden orb web spiders

A

-Male moved towards the female web and tugs on a strand of the web on which she is sitting
- he then drops down on his own drag line to avoid her initial attack
- this process gets repeated until the female is convinced that he is a prospective mate and not a meal
- male then spins a mating thread onto which he lures the female where to mate after which he makes a hasty retreat to avoid being eaten

63
Q

How long does courting and mating last in spiders ?

A

-Between a few seconds and a number of hours(depending on species)
- in some species courtship long mating short
- in others courtship short mating uo to 7 hours

64
Q

What happens after the female is inseminated ?

A

-She may hold the sperm in her spermathecae( a receptacle in which sperm is stored after mating)
- she only uses the amount she needs to fertilise the eggs that she lays at one time
- able to produce large number of egg-sacs full of fertile eggs after only having mated once

65
Q

What is the difference between Araneomorphs and mygalomorphs in terms of post mating ?

A

Araneomorphs can shed their skin and retain viable sperm
Mygalomorphs loose the sperm and need to mate again in order to fertilise eggs

66
Q

How long do spiders live ?

A

A year in most species
Up to 18 months in some jumping and wolf spiders
Primitive spiders(Mygalomorphs) like a baboon spider reach maturity only at 12 years and can live for another 5 or more years after that

67
Q

Do spiders protect their young ?

A

-Some spiders such as Lynx and rain spiders tend to stay with the egg sac and guard it until the young hatch
- nursery web spiders provide a nursery in which spiderlings live until they can fend for themselves
- wolf spiders carry their young around on their backs until they are ready to go their own way

68
Q

Explain the growth and dispersal of spiders

A

-When spiders emerge from the egg they are identical to adult.
- grow rapidly via skin shedding(ecdysis)
- when old skin is shed there is rapid growth until skin hardens and prevents growth.
- have to wait for next ecdysis to grow again
- spiders at a young age disperse via ballooning - climbing to a high point, facing into the wind and emitting strands of silk like threads from spinnerets.

69
Q

Explain what a kleptoparasite spider is and give an example

A

-Dew drop spiders found in the large webs of other spiders(golden orb spiders)
- dew drop spiders scavenge off of food in the orb spiders web
- dew drop spiders moves in on caught prey, attaching a web line and cutting it away from the main web, after feeding on the scavenged meal head back to main web
- orb spider usually unaware of kleptoparasite

70
Q

What is a solifuge ?

A

-These arachnids are know by a variety of different names, red romans, wind spiders, hunting spiders
- are aggressive predators often seen in rainy season dashing about looking for food
- lack venom glands but do have powerful chelicerae.
- pedipalps slender and look like extra pair of legs
- strong jaws for defence and to catch their prey, scissor like action cuts prey up and then juices are sucked out( feed on insects, baboon spiders, small birds, snakes and lizards

71
Q

Explain the body composition of a solifuge

A

-body covered in sensory hairs
- organs of taste, smell and hearing are present on the feet and mouthparts
- other sense organs are concentrated in special structures at the base of the last legs
-have a series of special hairs and spines, allowing them to run rapidly over loose sand

72
Q

Explain the hunting behaviour of solifuges

A

Some hunt by day and have dark markings over body and legs and tend to be smaller than nocturnal species that are yellow to brown in colour

73
Q

How can you identify a male solifuge

A

Mature Males have a species specific shape of horn like extensions on the upper jaw that females and juveniles lack

74
Q

Where do solifuges live and what is their social behaviour?

A

-They are solitary and live in shallow retreats scraped out under rocks and logs.
- they make the retreat by loosening the soil with their jaws and pushing sand backwards with their feet.
- after the rainy season female lays about 20 eggs and guard the egg case until the young hatch
- after they moult they leave the mother and live on their own

75
Q

What is the life span of a solifuge

A

They can live up to a year or more depending on the species

76
Q

What is a whipspider ?

A

-They are not true spiders as they do not have spinning organs at the end of the abdomen
- their name originates from the whip like movements of the first pair of legs

77
Q

Are whipspiders dangerous

A

No, they are absolutely harmless

78
Q

Where can whipspiders be found ?

A

They can be found under tree bark, in rock crevices and beneath fallen trees, where soul is moist and rich in decomposing leaf litter.

79
Q

What do whipspiders do when disturbed?

A

-They pretend to be dead and rely on their mottled yellow brown colouring to blend into the background.
-to escape they use rapid burst of speed forwards and backwards

80
Q

Explain the hunting behaviour of whip spiders

A

-They usually hunt at night when it is cool but do move in the day when conditions are cool
- the flexible pair of legs act as feelers and mouthparts are used as pincers to spear small insects for food

81
Q

How long do whipspiders take to reach maturity and explain what happens to their eggsacs

A

-They take 2 years to reach maturity and can live for several years after that
- at the start of the rainy season female lays about 20 eggs in an egg case that remains attached to the lower surface of her abdomen until the young hatch
- the babies cling to her back for about two weeks before they moult and move off on their own

82
Q

How are scorpions differentiated from the other orders of arachnids?

A
  • have pincers
  • have a tail with a sting at the end
  • having pectines, which are comb like structures on the underside of the body
83
Q

Explain the courting behaviour of scorpions

A

-Males actively seek out females for mating
- females give of a scent trail via pheromones, males sense this through their pectins
- when mate is found male signals his intentions via pincer tapping, tail wagging and juddering of the whole body which sends vibrations through the ground
- male will only approach female when a positive response is made

84
Q

Explain the mating behaviour of scorpions

A

-Mating takes place via a complex dance where scorpions are head on with eachother
- male holding female pincers stepping back and forth
- males of most species have modified pincers for gripping females
- once male has good grip on female he moves around making use of his pectines on his underside to find a suitable surface to deposit spermatophore
- dance can last for 30 min and move 25m
- when male has deposited spermatophore on the ground he moves the female that the hooks on the small package of sperm catch onto the females genital opening
- this is accomplished by the female opening her opercula and either arching her body over the spermatophore or by the male picking her up and placing het ontop of it
- the females body weight bends the spermatophore and this releases the sperm.
-Female stays motionless for a short period of time
-after this they break away from one another and sometimes club and sting each other females even try to kill males

85
Q

What is the gestation period of scorpions ?

A

Varys from species to species but in general between a few moths to 18 months(longest period of any arachnid)

86
Q

How many young are produced ?

A

8-32 depending on species and birth takes about an hour per young

87
Q

What happens after scorpions are born ?

A

-The young similar to adult just pale and not fully formed
- they crawl on to the mothers back where they remain for 9-14 days until first moult
- after which they leave mom and go off on their own

88
Q

Explain the Pectines of a scorpion ?

A

-Totally unique structure
- comb like structure on underside of prosoma just behind sternum and genital opening
- used for sensing temperature and humidity levels and for feeling substrate
- used by males (larger pectines) to follow pheremones of females

89
Q

Explain the general anatomy of tics and mites

A

-They have a complete fusion of the chepalophorax and abdomen with no external divisions in body segments
-Their mouthparts are on a little anterior projection called gnathosoma( made up of feeding appendages that surround the mouth)

90
Q

Explain the anatomy of ticks

A

-Simple head capsule has two palps or mouth feelers in front, between these there is a hypostome or sucking apparatus, which consists of tubular structures with blades on the sides and cutting blades at the tip
- most species have two simple eyes om the shield above the second pair of legs, some are completely blind
- these small simple eyes can only detect light intensity and movement
- when tics hatch they originally only have 6 legs

91
Q

What is the hypostome of ticks

A

A calcified harpoon like structure near the mouth area of certain parasitic arthropods allowing them to anchor themselves firmly in place on a host animal

92
Q

What do ticks feed on ?

A

-Ectoparasitic, feeding in blood of host
-Soft bodied so they can indulge in large amounts if blood in a single feeding stage
-Large bloated tics are blood filled females males don’t get that large

93
Q

Explain the life cycles of a tick

A

-Sperm is transferred directly by most mites and tics
- others via spermatophore
- larva with 6 legs hatches from egg
- followed by one or more 8 legged nymph stages before adult stage is reached

94
Q

Explain the life cycle of a one host tick(blue tick)

A

-Adult fully engorged female tick falls from host and lays her eggs in batches in a protected area on the ground
- after roughly three weeks eggs hatch and six legged larvae(pepper ticks) then climb up to the top of grass stems and await arrival of suitable host
- larvae then attaches to host and engorges on meal
- larvae grow and moult while in host
- nymph reattaches and feeds and moults till adult
- adult then feeds, finds a mate, copulates and drops off the host to lay eggs
- males stay on host and dies there

95
Q

Explain the life cycle of a two host tick(red-legged tick)

A
  • egg hatches into larvae which can survive for several months without feeding.
  • when suitable host is encountered larvae attaches themselves to ears and flanks, engorge, moult into nymphs engorge again and drop off host after 15 days
    -on the ground they moult again into adults after about 25 days
  • can survive up to a year without feeding
  • find second host attach below the tail and engorge in seven days
  • find a mate copulate fall of lays eggs and dies
96
Q

Life cycle of a three host tick(bont tick)

A

-Female drops of host laying 3000-6000 eggs
- eggs hatch within three weeks and larvae seek out a host
-larvae feeds and drops of host and moults into a nymph
- nymph attaches to second host, feeds, drops off and moults into adult on the ground
- adult then attaches to third host and completes the life cycle
(Smaller animals such as elephants shrews)
(Frequents head,eyelids,mouth, cheeks, ears )

97
Q

Give an explanation on mites

A

-Mites are a minute ectoparasite visible only under a microscope
- appear all across the body of certain antelope and predators
- mites cause condition known as mage
- have a baglike body which is not segmented
- morphologically similar to ticks where larvae hatch with 6 legs and nymphs have 8
- feed mainly on small arthropods, invertebrates eggs and other arachnids
-some scavenge on decaying matter, dried skin cells, body oils and fragments of feathers.
- herbivore mites have specially designed mouth parts called stylets adapted to suck sap from them

98
Q

Explain the anatomy of a mite

A

-Mouthparts on the front end have prominent cutting blades or sucking mouthparts depending on their diet
- most mite species digest their food externally by regurgitating digestive fluids and absorbing the digested matter
- next to the mouth parts are two pedipalps and behind these they have a pair of simple eyes

99
Q

Explain the lifecycle of a mite

A

While adhering to skin with ambulacral suckers, the adult cuts through the skin with its chelicerae and sharp edges on the tibiae of the first pair of legs
- egg laying begins within hours of the female starting to burrow. As burrowing proceeds, eggs are laid at two-three-day intervals and eggs hatch after about five days they hatch into 6legged larvae
- both larvae and nymphs migrate to hair follicles in their search for food and shelter
- nymphs moult into second nymphal stage which then moult into the adult stage
- the development from larvae to adult takes about 6 days
- as the adults wander around the skin copulation takes place and burrowing starts again to complete the life cycle
- happens between ten and fourteen days

100
Q

When does mange become apparent

A

-Most wild animals are sub-clinical infested with mites.
- mange only becomes apparent when the host is subject to stress and usually only some individuals will show clinical signs of infestation

FGASA Level 2 (14 decks)

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