General Trivia

Question 1

What are the positive roles that arthropods play in their relationship with humans?

Answer 1

Pollinating agents;Biological control agents for various invasive plants or other pests;Source of food (Direct);Source of food (Indirect);Decomposition agents (plant matter; dung; carrion) – recycling nutrients;Reducing the spread of disease by breaking down and removing carcasses;Seed-dispersal agents

Question 2

What are the negative roles that arthropods play in their relationship with humans?

Answer 2

Vectors of disease;Danger/discomfort via stings and bites;Economic damage (crop destruction);Physical damage to homes and other structures;Garden pests;Phobic association

Question 3

What is a parasite?

Answer 3

An organism that lives by gaining its nutrients from another living organism. (It harms; but usually does not kill its host as this will end its nutrient supply) E.g. A tick

Question 4

What is a parasitoid?

Answer 4

An organism that lays its eggs on or inside another species. The larvae then hatch and develop within the host; consuming their host alive (killing it) E.g. Many wasps

Question 5

What is a kleptoparasite?

Answer 5

An organism that “steals” the food provisions of another organism.E.g. Dew-drop spider (Golden orb-web Spider); Cuckoo Wasp (lays eggs in a host’s provisioned nest. Its own larvae eat host’s food larder as well as host’s larvae)