Exam 3 (Chp. 13): Insects

Question 1

What protects stag beetles from hornet stings?

Answer 1

Body armor (outer shell)

Question 2

Do male and female stag beetles look the same? If not, how do they differ?

Answer 2

No, males are larger and have large frontal claws for fighting

Question 3

What is the function of the emperor moth’s antennae?

Answer 3

Scan the air for chemical cues (reproduction), only in males

Question 4

Who were among the first creatures to fly?

Answer 4

Dragonflies & Damselflies

Question 5

How big were ancestral dragonflies? Could they fly?

Answer 5

Size of pigeons and yes

Question 6

For what purpose will the female dung beetle use the dung ball?

Answer 6

Bury the ball and lay eggs in it (offspring can eat their way out)

Question 7

What is the advantage of being nocturnal and laying eggs in the night?

Answer 7

Fewer predators are around which allows more time to lay

Question 8

What material do hornets use to build their nests?

Answer 8

wood pulp and saliva (creates mache like substance)

Question 9

Which insects have the most complex social structure?

Answer 9

Ants

Question 10

Who is the founder of an ant colony?

Answer 10

Queen

Question 11

What is the queen’s role in an ant colony?

Answer 11

Breeding machine (produce eggs and offspring)

Question 12

How long can a queen ant live?

Answer 12

30 years

Question 13

Caterpillars are a major source of food for _____.

Answer 13

Songbirds

Question 14

How have caterpillars shaped the evolution of plants?

Answer 14

Many plants adapted chemical warfare to defend themselves

Question 15

Describe the process of caterpillar metamorphosis

Answer 15

The body melts to a goo-filled shell and then rebuilds body parts thru winter

Question 16

What do adult butterflies eat? Why not eat plants as adults too?

Answer 16

Nectar, they no longer have jaws instead a proboscis for sucking up nectar

Question 17

Describe the pollination of plants. How/why is the interaction between plants and pollinating insects mutualistic?

Answer 17

Plants use insects to transfer pollen between plants for reproduction and nectar is produced from the plants as food for insects

Question 18

What do giant water lily flowers smell like?

Answer 18

Butterscotch and pineapple

Question 19

How do insects reproductive strategies help rebuild populations after a severe weather event?

Answer 19

Short life span= more offspring
Have special habitat structures to survive (ant hills in ground)

Question 20

Which insects are among the strongest creatures on the planet?

Answer 20

Leaf cutter ants

Question 21

What anatomical structure do leaf cutter ants use to harvest prices of leaves to carry back to their nests?

Answer 21

Huge jaws

Question 22

How big do leafcutter ant colonies get?

Answer 22

Up to 8 million ants per colony

Question 23

Why do leaf-cutter ants culture fungi?

Answer 23

Fungi turns leaves into easily digestible protein for ant offspring

Question 24

What is the natural insecticide that wood ants produce as a defense mechanism?

Answer 24

Formic acid

Question 25

Describe 3 adaptations of the praying mantis that aid in its success as a predator

Answer 25

• strong body armor prevents punctures from others
• compound eyes and 3 smaller eyes
• Head swings 180 degrees

Question 26

Why do only female mosquitos bite?

Answer 26

Need blood to nourish eggs growing inside of them

Question 27

How did the rise of insects likely facilitate the evolution of larger animals?

Answer 27

Adapted new characteristics for hunting and swarms provided large food sources

Question 28

Why are mammals “bad news for bugs”

Answer 28

They are fast and intelligent

Question 29

Why are mass spawning and hatching events a successful reproductive strategy for insects?

Answer 29

Predators barely dent numbers

Question 30

Provide one example of an insect thats a master of mass production

Answer 30

Mayflies

Question 31

Describe firefly communication. What structures or behaviors enabled them to communicate, and how do they do it?

Answer 31

Chemicals in the abdomen omit glow, Green for females and dim light for males
- the light signals intent and more light= bigger female and more eggs

Question 32

Describe grasshopper communication. What structures or behaviors enabled them to communicate, and how do they do it?

Answer 32

Singing by rubbing their wing cases to produce noise and find a mate

Question 33

What are the disadvantages to making noise to attract mates?

Answer 33

Can attract rivals and predators

Question 34

Ultimately what has driven the evolution of the behaviors and anatomy of insects, like the body armor and horns in male stag beetles?

Answer 34

Propagating the species

Question 35

How is climate change affecting insect populations?

Answer 35

In winters that have warm weather due to climate change, populations can reach plague size due to a lack of predators

Question 36

List and describe reaons why we need insects

Answer 36

Pollinate flowers for food and views
Process excretory waste for food
Break down dead and decaying animals