Entomology Final Exam

What is the dollar value of pollinator services in the U.S.?

$15 Billion

Provide two criticisms of kin selection theory.

-It offers no new scientific insight (though this is contested) -Focuses too much on measuring relatedness

According to Fisher, the "unbeatable" sex ratio is:

1 Female:1 Male

There are approximately 20,000 species of bees. How many are social?

1,000

Which of the following is a characteristic of ants: 1. A metapleural gland that produces antibiotics 2. All species have large compound eyes 3. Winged worker caste 4. All ant queens start new colonies alone

A metapleural gland that produces antibiotics

For __ pheromones, high volatility is important but specificity is not

Alarm

The weight of termites in the African plains can equal the weight of __ the mammals in the same area

All

Ant workers are:

All females

Studies indicate ants can use which of the following for navigation? 1. Position of the sun 2. Polarized light 3. Pattern of a forest canopy 4. All of the above

All of the above

Which of the following can we reasonably approximate from nest architecture? 1. Size of individuals living in nest 2. Number of individuals living in a nest 3. Amount of food stored by colony 4. All of the above

All of the above

Which of the following is true? 1. All social insect communication is chemical 2. Hormones are chemical signals that act between two different species 3. Pheromones are internal signals that affect specific tissues 4. Allomones are chemical signals that act between two different species

Allomones are chemical signals that act between two different species

Which of the following is correct: 1. Ants and bees are descended from wasps 2. Termites are closely related to beetles 3. Wasps are descended from bees 4. Ants and wasps descended from bees

Ants and bees are descended from wasps

The first cohort of workers produced by paper wasp queens are __

Approximately 10% smaller than the queen

Termite workers:

Are both male and female

Most species of wasps

Are parasites/parasitoids

Describe and provide a social insect example of associative learning.

Associating one stimulus or thing with another or with a certain event; ant memories rely on this

Describe and prodive a social insect example of habituation

Becoming so used to a certain type of stimuli that it is tuned out. Continuously blowing on cockroaches has been seen to have no effect on them once they know it will not be posing a threat; just blowing on them once (and sharply), though, will make them flee

According to W.D. Hamilton, altruism can evolve if Br>C. B=

Benefit to the individual being helped

In Hamilton's theorem, B=

Benefit to the recipient of help

According to W.D. Hamilton, altruism can evolve if Br>C. C=

Cost to the helping individual

Describe and provide a social insect example of imprinting

Creating a bond during a formative developmental period that is irreversible; "slave-making" insect species utilize this

___ are not dependent on contact with soil for moisture but require moisture in wood

Damp wood termites

What does a male ant do after he mates?

Dies

In terms of the honey bee dance language, the angle relative to "straight up" (the opposite of gravity) corresponds to the ___ of the resource she is advertising

Direction

In terms of the honey bee dance language, the time (seconds) spent during the waggle run corresponds to the __ of the resource she is advertising

Distance

___ are not dependent on contact with soil for moisture

Dry wood termites

All social insects are arthropods. Which of the folowing is true of arthropods?

They have a segmented body

__ pheromones should remain localized and last a moderate amount of time

Trail

Which of the following is true of the haplodiploidy sex determination system: 1. Fertilized eggs result in males 2. Unfertilized eggs die within a few days 3. Unfertilized eggs result in males 4. Unfertilized eggs result in females

Unfertilized eggs result in females

A honey bee will perform a __ dance if the food is >50 meters away; but if the food is <50 meters away, the bee will perform a __ dance instead.

Waggle, round

Ants and bees are descendants of what other kind of insect?

Wasps

In primitively social insects, the individuals produced at the end of the season:

Will mate and attempt to start a new colony next season

Which of the following is capable of manipulating host sex ratio? 1. Baculovirus 2. Wolbachia bacteria 3. Israel accute paralysis virus 4. Iridescent virus

Wolbachia bacteria

Describe the annual cycle of a bumble bee colony.

Female workers are born earlier in the cycle and males and reproductives later. For a time, only the queen lays any eggs, since she produces chemicals that prevent the workers from reproducing. When she begins to lay males and reproductives, though, she stops producing that chemical and the workers are able to begin to lay eggs of their own. When they do, the queen tries to consume as many of their eggs as she can; ultimately, the other workers attack the queen, sometimes killing her.

In the female calling form of ant mating...

Females remain near their maternal nest and release pheromones to attract males

If a female parasitic wasp knows her offspring will be the next breeding population, she will produce more ___ than ___

Females, males

In ant colonies with high relatedness asymmetry:

Workers favor production of reproductive sisters

If a female parasitic wasp knows her offspring will be the next breeding population, she will produce more __ than __

females, males

In general, reproductives have __ abdomens and workers have __ heads

large, large

In insects, digestion and absorption occur primarily in the ___, while absorption of water and salts occurs in the __

midgut, hindgut

Describe the experiments that Luscher conducted in an effort to understand caste determination in lower termites. What did he discover? Include the roles of the two main pheromones.

He put termites in three different situations: first, he placed termites in 2 different compartments but permitted them to move in such a way that would enable their antennae to touch; second, he gave the separated termites no access to one another; third, he permitted trophylaxis to occur. In the first scenario, a supplementary king and queen were created but killed by nymphs. In the second, the supplementary kind and queen lived undisturbed on their side of the compartment. In the third, no supplementary king and queen developed Trophylaxis permitted the transmission of anal pheromones that inhibited the growth of the supplementary reproductives.

Describe the development and provide an example of Holometabolous and Hemimetabolous insects

Hemimetabolous insects have developmental iterations that result in the shedding of cuticles and the growth of new, larger ones; termites are hemimetabolous. Holometabolous insects begin as eggs and become larvae before they become adults; bees are holometabolous.

The main predators of African bees are__

Honey badgers

What do fungus-growing ants feed their fungus gardens?

Leaves

According to the "Silence of the Bees" video, what effects do pesticides have on honey bees?

Loss of appetite, disorientation, and an impact on learning

Which of the following statements about termites is correct: 1. Workers and soldiers are adults 2. Major component of diet is cellulose 3. They are most closely related to ants, bees, and wasps 4. Dampwood termites must be in contact with soil

Major component of diet is cellulose

What does low honey yield indicate about a honey bee colony?

Malnourishment

Most digestion occurs in the insect:

Midgut

Which of the following is true of higher termites: 1. They have protists in their hindgut 2. Most termite species are higher termites 3. All individuals in a colony look the same 4. Wood is a major part of their diet

Most termite species are higher termites

The first cohort of workers produced by a bumble bee queen are:

Much smaller than the queen and considered "dwarves"

Army and colonies cycle through two phases: nomadic and statary. When the brood is in the larval stage, the colony is in the __ phase.

Nomadic

How long does a typical honey worker live?

One month

If you were an army ant worker, what would you do if you had to decide between two foraging trails?

Pick the stronger trail

What is the source of protein for developing bee larvae?

Pollen

Allodapini bees nest in hollow stems and feed the larvae every day. This type of feeding, which is seen as an important step towards sociality, is known as:

Progressive provisioning

In terms of the honey bee dance language, the vigor of dance and the number of repetitions of the dance corresponds to the __ of the resource she is advertising

Quality

According to W.D. Hamilton, altruism can evolve if Br>C. r=

Relatedness of the helper and the helpee

Chemical signals that animals use as an immediate cue to change behavior are called:

Releasers

Higher termite caste determination is considered __ while lower termite caste determination is considered __

Rigid, flexible

Which of the following is crucial for honey bee queen development?

Royal Jelly

Which of the following is crucial for honey bee queen development?

Royal jelly

The total weight of all ants is the ___ the total weight of all humans

Same as

Bees are considered close relatives of what group?

Sand wasps

Describe how honey bees reach a consensus when attempting to find a new nest site.

Scout bees go and search for potential new nest sites. When they return, they perform a dance that communicates details about the site and its suitability for their colony. Like Quakers, different bees express opinions about different sites by agreeing with one of the scout bees.

All social insects are arthropods. Which of the following is true about arthropods? 1. Segmented body 2. Internal skeleton 3. Asymmetrical body plan 4. About 5% of all animal species

Segmented body

__ pheromones should drift downward and stimulate members of the same species

Sex

Insect respiration involves:

Small openings that allow air to enter the insect

Which of the following statements is true: 1. Some ant species found colonies with multiple queens 2. All ant colonies have thousands of workers 3. Invasive ant species rarely outcompete native species 4. All ant species produce workers

Some ant species found colonies with multiple queens

Ruddy Sweat Bee females that find a mate soon after their emergence:

Start their own colony

According to the Parental Manipulation Hypothesis, how do mothers ensure that their daughters remain at the nest and work?

Starve them (nutritional castration)

These include the world;s smallest bees and are often "weedy" species:

Stingless bees

Honey bee foragers that have to wait long periods before they can transfer their nectar to a handler bee will usually:

Stop foraging

___ require contact with soil for moisture

Subterranean Termites

Most species of wasps:

are hemimetabolous

Advanced social insects have:

discrete dimorphism between the queen and workers

In recent years, kin selection theory has been criticized for a variety of reasons. One is that the haplodiploidy hypothesis is considered a failure. Provide two reasons the haplodiploidy hypothesis is considered a failure.

1. Queens can mate with multiple males 2. Multiple females can mate 3. It excludes diploid groups like termites

What fraction of American Woodland wildflowers are planted by ants?

1/2

Africanized honey bees are __ more likely to sting than European bees

10

Warrick Kerr brought African honey bee queens to Brasil in __

1956

How many flowers are required to make one pint of honey?

5,000,000

Which of the following is true of hemimetabolous insects?

Immature forms look like adults except smaller

Honey bee queens and drones mate ___

In the air

Allometry is a process in which two traits (such as head and thorax length):

Increase in size at different rates

Which of the following is true regarding stigmergy? 1. It means "workers unite" 2. Direct interactions are required between workers 3. Prevents building at multiple locations in a nest 4. Individual workers affect each other via the byproduct of their activity

Individual workers affect each other via the byproduct of their activity

Insects differ from humans with respect to visual perception in that

Insects are more sensitive to polarized light than humans

Compare and contrast ant/bee/wasp societies with termite societies.

Termites: -Male and female workers -Caste determined by pheromones -Workers are immature -No dominance hierarchies -King remains with queen -Hemimetabolous -Diploid Ants/bees/Wasps: -Female workers -Nutritional or behavioral caste determination -Workers are adults -Males short-lived -Dominance heirarchies -Holometabolous -Haplodiploid

Describe the annual cycle of a primitively eusocial insect colony starting with a female colony in the spring.

The colony begins with a female queen who produces female workers. The queen releases pheromones that render the workers infertile. When the queen begins to lay males much later in the cycle, she stops releasing those pheromones, making it possible for the workers to lay eggs. The queen eats as many of the eggs as she can; and, in response to this, some workers may kill the queen. The largest workers will become queens or reproductives the next spring.

Which of the following statements is true regarding Hymenoptera?

The forewings and hindwings are attached by tiny hooks (hamuli)

In the examples of temporal polyethism we discussed in class...

The oldest workers do the most dangerous jobs

Ant workers are__

all females