Insect Behavior Flashcards
What is a trophic level?
“where you eat”.
Why are trophic levels relevant to feeding behavior of insects?
Determines diet.
Define phytophagous and give an example.
Herbivores - plant diets
- Most common
- Two types (specialists):
- Oligophagous… 1 - 3 plant families
- Monophagous… 1 plant family
Define carnivorous and give an example.
Zoophagy - consume animal parts / blood
- Hunters, scavengers
- Medical / veterinary pests
Define omnivorous and give an example.
Utilizes 2 or more trophic levels.
- can be predatorial or herbivorial
- ladybugs, mole crickets
Define fungivorous and give an example.
Consume fungal spores and hyphae.
- Ladybugs
- Ambrosia beetle (on Fusarium)
Define polyphagous and give an example.
aka generalist, not limited to particular plant families.
Japanese beetles can feed on over 300 plants in 79 families.
Define specialist herbivore and give and example.
Remember herbivores…
- Oligophagous (1 - 3 plant families)
- Monophagous (1 plant family)
Host range is dictated by:
sign stimuli in plants such as secondary plant compounds.
Host range determines:
the range of species that are accepted as hosts.
How does host range differ from host quality?
fertilized plant vs. unfertilized plant … affects host quality, not host range.
What’s the advantage to feeding at more than one trophic level?
Not limited for food choices… better chances at survival.
Define necrophagy and give an example.
Feeds on dead insects / tissue.
- Roaches
- Daddy long-legs
- Grasshoppers
Define ematophagy and give an example.
Feeding on regurgitant.
- Termites
- Ants
- Roaches
* Important in horizontal transfer. *
Define coprophagy and give an example.
Feeding on anal secretions / feces.
- Termites
- Grasshoppers
- Roaches
- Ants
- Aphids
* Important in horizontal transfer. *
Explain trophallaxis and why it is important both ecologically and economically.
Feeding on excretions…
- Mutualism - ants / aphids
- immatures get gut microbes
- horizontal transfer of nutrients and / or insecticide
Explain horizontal transfer or transmission of insecticides among roaches, termites, or ants.
Exposing a set of insects (“donors”) to insecticide… rest of colony (“recipients”) are exposed through social interactions including trophallaxis.
Define active defensive behavior and give an example.
Mechanical - bite, sting, urticating hair
Chemical defences
Define passive defensive behavior and give an example.
- Camouflage - blending in with natural environment
- Mimicry - adapting coloration of deadly species
- Construction - webbed “fortress”
- Avoidance - fleeing
What is taxis?
Movement in response to stimuli
What does positive or negative taxis tell you about the movement?
Positive - moth flying towards light
Negative - grasshopper jumping from feet
Insect movement facilitates dispersal primarily from…
… overwintering sites / hosts to NEW locations / hosts.
What is an example of a pest species in North America that migrates annually?
Monarch butterfly
What are the three traits of truly social insects?
Eusocial - truly social, meeting all following criteria:
- Cooperative brood care
- Presence of sterile workers
- Overlap of generations
What is the difference between a social and a eusocial insect?
Social - roaches.
Eusocial - ants / bees.
Social insects have one or more (but not all three) traits of eusocial insects.
Why do honeybees do the waggle dance?
Bodily communication to express food location.
