Cabbage White Butterfly Summative

Question 0

What is an arthopod?

Answer 0

An organism with jointed legs and a protective covering called an exoskeleton.

Question 1

What type of organism, or phylum, is the cabbage white butterfly?

Answer 1

Arthropod

Question 2

List four characteristics found within insects:

Answer 2

Six legs, 2 antennae, Two pairs of wings, Three main body parts-Head thorax, and abdomen.

Question 3

What is the order group of the cabbage white butterfly?

Answer 3

Lepidoptera from the Greek words lepid. Lepid means scale and ptera means wing.

Question 4

Where does the word “butterfly” come from?

Answer 4

England’s Brimstone Butterfly. (Or butter on fly.)

Question 5

What is metamorphosis:

Answer 5

Metamorphosis is the process in which a baby (or young animal/insect) physically develops from its birth stage into the next stage of its life, until reaching its adult stage.

Question 6

List the stages of a butterfly in the order in which they occur and explain what happens in each stage:

Answer 6

1. The egg stage: the organism grows and develops inside of the egg until it is ready to hatch. 2. The larva stage: the organism is constantly eating, growing, and undergoing physical changes to its body size (molting) 3. The pupa stage: The organism is forming its cocoon and performing a major transformation of its body in a protective covering (cocoon) 4. The adult stage: The organism is fully developed and has all the structures that it will need to survive on its own.

Question 7

What do larvae do when they hatch from their eggs?

Answer 7

They eat a lot of food and become eating machines.

Question 8

What does the larvae constantly do in this stage?

Answer 8

It eats, grows, excretes, and molts.

Question 9

What is molting?

Answer 9

The shedding of the outer skin.

Question 10

Why is molting necessary?

Answer 10

The outer layer does not grow.

Question 11

What does the outer skin of the larva do as it grows?

Answer 11

The outer skin cracks to reveal a baggy inner skin. Then the larvae crawls out of its skin and resumes eating.

Question 12

How much molts does the butterfly larvae undergo before reaching full size?

Answer 12

4 Molts

Question 13

How much larval stages does the cabbage white butterfly have in total and how are they labeled?

Answer 13

5 larval stages; labeled L1, L2, L3, L4, L5

Question 14

What is another name for the 5 larval stages of a butterfly?

Answer 14

Instars

Question 16

What is the droppings of the cabbage white butterfly called? When and how does it first appear?

Answer 16

Frass. It appears as tiny pellets on the leaves of the plants on which the larva feeds.

Question 17

What does the cabbage white butterfly’s frass consist of?

Answer 17

Parts of the plant tissue that the larva does not digest and use.

Question 18

What does the cabbage white butterfly larvae’s diet mainly consist of?

Answer 18

Radish leaves, which are a member of the mustard, or cabbage family.

Question 19

Insects determine what they will eat by responding to specific 1.________. About half of all insects depend on 2.__________ to survive. For them, 3._________ and ___________ are the most important cues, and are generated by 4.______________.

Answer 19

1. cues 2. plants 3. odor and taste 4. chemicals

Question 20

How do you know when each larval stage occurs?

Answer 20

Each stage is defined by a new molt, or shedding of the outer shell, or exoskeleton.

Question 21

What leaves do cabbage white butterfly larvae like?

Answer 21

The leaves of Brassica or Cruciferae plants, which are members of the mustard family of plants.

Question 22

What is the strong taste and smell in plants created by?

Answer 22

Mustard oils and chemicals called glucosides

Question 23

What is the job of the mustard oils and glucosides found in plants?

Answer 23

To make the plant unappetizing to plant-eating insects.

Question 24

What is an entomologist?

Answer 24

A scientist that studies insects.

Question 25

Why is it important for scientists and farmers to study the eating habits of insects?

Answer 25

Insects are a main cause for damaging farmers’ crops. They will eat through the leaves of certain plants and will also eat other parts of the plant as well. This can lead to the plant dying and not being able to be harvested. If the crops can’t be harvested, a farmer wouldn’t be able to make much money and be able to produce a sufficient supply of his crop.

Question 26

What ingredients in nectar serve as the main sources of food for butterflies?

Answer 26

Sugar, water, minerals, and other nutrients

Question 27

When does nectar provide energy for butterflies?

Answer 27

Their quest for mates and for search of a suitable spot to lay eggs. (They need to find a safe spot to protect themselves from predators.)

Question 28

What is the butterfly’s proboscis?

Answer 28

The butterfly’s proboscis acts as the mouth part for the butterfly, and helps it take in nutrients and water. It looks like a long tube.

Question 29

The proboscis is an elongated 1.____________________ that can be 2. through the use of 3.____________________.

Answer 29

1. feeding tube 2. Coiled and extended 3. special muscles

Question 30

List at least two common characteristics that any member of the phylum have:

Answer 30

-A hard outer covering called an exoskeleton - jointed legs

Question 31

Define Chrysalis:

Answer 31

The stage of growth for a larva where it enters its cocoon or protective casing before emerging as a butterfly.

Question 32

Define exoskeleton:

Answer 32

Hard outer covering of an insect’s body

Question 33

Define instar:

Answer 33

Another name for a larval stage

Question 34

Define frass:

Answer 34

The droppings (poop) of the cabbage white butterfly.

Question 35

Define glucosides:

Answer 35

Chemicals made by a plant to make it unappetizing to predators and insects.

Question 36

Define molting:

Answer 36

Shedding of an organisms’ outer skin.

Question 37

Explain the relationship between what a cabbage white butterfly eats and the color of its frass:

Answer 37

The cabbage white butterfly normally produces frass similar to the color of what it eats or takes in. This is due to the fact the the cabbage white butterfly doesn’t have a large and complex digestive system and can’t break down different food colorings. Normally, the frass is green because the cabbage white butterfly can’t digest the cell wall of the green plants.

Question 38

How does the cabbage white butterfly detect a food source?

Answer 38

By detecting the chemicals given off by certain plants. Then,they can detect the odor of it, and are given cues about the taste and flavor of the food source. The cabbage white butterfly may either become attracted to the food source, or become disinterested in it.