entomology test 1 ch1

14) Discuss the phenomenon of butterfly houses.

In the past few decades butterfly houses has become a trend. These are live butterfly displays that are set up so that the curious person or scholar can walk through and learn so much about butterflies through the butterfly houses.

15) Discuss threats to insect biodiversity.

Threats to insect diversity range from habitat loss and invasive alien organisms to environmental contamination and biological control. Many of the threats are synergistic, with the joint impact of habitat loss and global climate change being highly adversely synergistic.

8) What are the smallest and largest insects?

the biggest insect on earth is the African Goliath beetle, which grows up to six inches long and may weigh over 3 1/2 ounces. The smallest insects on earth are the battledore-wing fairy fly, a kind of parasitic wasp, and the hairy-winged beetle. They are only 1/125 of an inch long, smaller than some one-celled animals! You could probably put several of these insects on the head of a pin.

16) Discuss examples of invasive ant species.

the yellow crazy ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes) is a species of ant, introduced accidentally to northern Australia and Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, that has caused ecological damage in both locations and now found in the northern suburbs of Brisbane. It is colloquially called "crazy" because of its erratic movements when disturbed. Its long legs and antennae make it one of the largest invasive ant species in the world. The red fire ant is another example of an invasive ant species, these ants are native to south America but have traveled and been imported abruptly

12) Compare and contrast splitters and lumpers.

. A "lumper" is an individual who takes a gestalt view of a definition, and assigns examples broadly, assuming that differences are not as important as signature similarities. A "splitter" is an individual who takes precise definitions, and creates new categories to classify samples that differ in key ways.

) Discuss the importance of insects and reasons to study them.

. Insects are the most abundant animals on earth. More than one million different types of insects have been identified. They live in just about every situation or habitat on earth. Insects have lived on earth for more than 300 million years. As you will see, insects are just about everywhere! If you take the time to observe them carefully, you will find them very interesting. Insects spread disease, Insects eat our crops, Insects eat our stored food, Insects maim and kill our livestock, Insects provide us with food, Insects recycle waste, Insects pollinate flowers, Insects provide food to other animals and insects control weeds. why would we not study insects in detail when they impact our lives so much.

10) Discuss the ecosystem functions of insects and how do they relate to keystone species.

. Insects have a major part in the ecosystem because insects help with breaking down of material for rich soils that grow plants well. Also insects help in plant pollination and without certain plants and insects for food , keystone species would die out and eventually life as we know it will cease as a whole.

18) What is entomophagy? Discuss examples.

. is the human use of insects as food. The eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults of certain insects have been eaten by humans from prehistoric times to the present day, chocolate covered crickets and grasshoppers is one example. Over 1,000 species of insects are known to be eaten in 80% of the world's nations. Insects and arachnids eaten around the world include crickets, cicadas, grasshoppers, ants, various beetle grubs (such as mealworms), the larvae of the darkling beetle or rhinoceros beetle, various species of caterpillar (such as bamboo worms, mopani worms, silkworms and waxworms), scorpions and tarantulas.

19) What is an insect used as a source of sugar for Australian Aboriginals?

? Insects have been consumed as food in many parts of the world, and insects consumed directly as food was probably the most important use of insects to the Australian Aborigines.

How do insect populations respond to environmental change? How does an insect's perspective of its environment differ from that of a mammal or bird?

? Warmer temperatures associated with climate changes will tend to influence (and frequently amplify) insect species' population dynamics directly through effects on survival, generation time, fecundity and dispersal. Individual insect species' responses to climate change, however, will depend on their geographic range, trophic level and natural history.Insect populations in mid‐ to high latitudes are expected to benefit most from climate change through more rapid development and increased survival. Much less is known about the effects of increased warming on tropical insect species. Insect species' mortality may decrease with warmer winter temperatures, thereby leading to poleward range expansions.The physiological effects of climatic warming on insects species can also act indirectly through trophic interactions (i.e. host plants and natural enemies). Insects feature prominently among the documented range expansions that illustrate biological responses to recent climate change.Because insect species in general have relatively short life cycles, high reproductive capacity and high degree of mobility, the physiological responses to warming temperatures can produce large and rapid effects on species population dynamics.

What is a speciescape?

A diagram or picture showing the diversity of bugs in a given area.

How many insect orders are there?

According to A D. Imms there are 29 insect orders. These are as followingThe Apterygota, Protura, Collembola Springtails, Thysanura Silverfish, Diplura Two Pronged Bristle-tails, The Exopterygota, Ephemeroptera Mayflies, Odonata Dragonflies, Plecoptera Stoneflies, Grylloblatodea, Orthoptera, Phasmida Stick-Insects, Dermaptera Earwigs, Embioptera Web Spinners, Dictyoptera Cockroaches and Mantids, Isoptera Termites, Zoraptera, Psocoptera Bark and Book Lice, Mallophaga Biting Lice, Siphunculata Sucking Lice, Hemiptera True Bugs, Thysanoptera, The, Endopterygota, Neuropter Lacewings, Coleoptera Beetles, Strepsiptera Stylops, Mecoptera Scorpionflies, Siphonaptera Fleas, Diptera True Flies, Lepidoptera Butterflies and Moths, Trichoptera, Caddis Flies, Hymenoptera Ants Bees and Wasps

11) Discuss the significance of insects in human history.

Bugs have been used in war for quite some time now . in ancient history combatants would catipolt a hive of angry bees over an enemies wall. And There are stories like that going back to Greek and Roman times even filling a woven basket with scorpions and throwing it at someone.

What are the five major orders of insects? Describe the species richness of each. How is species richness estimated? How accurate are these estimates? What accounts for the present day species richness patterns of insects?

Coleoptera: Beetles (400,000), Diptera: True Flies (240,000), Lepidoptera: Moths/Butterflies (175,000), Hymenoptera: Wasps/Bees/Ants (150,000), Hemiptera: Aphids/Cicadas/Shield Bugs (80,000).////How is species richness estimated? Is the number of species in a group How accurate are these estimates? They are accurate to an extent , there will always be a little bias when it comes to estimating where a species should be grouped due to minute identifying features. What accounts for the present day species richness patterns of insects?

What is Entomology? Discuss the range of research that Entomologists conduct and the history of this study. How does Charles Darwin relate to this topic?

Entomology is the study of insects//. Entomologist research the classification, life cycle, distribution, physiology, behavior, ecology and population dynamics of insects. Entomologists also study urban pests, forest pests, agricultural pests and medical and veterinary pests and their control. Entomology started in the 16th century and William Kirby is widely considered as the father of Entomology. Entomology developed rapidly in the 19th and 20th centuries, and was studied by large numbers of people, including the famous Charles Darwin////some may not think of Darwin as an entomologist, he in fact published many articles on insects, used entomological examples to support his theories of species origin and sexual selection, and made countless references to insects in his books.

Discuss the economic significance of insects

Insects which produce honey, wax, lac, dyes and silk are commercially beneficial. Some insects are very helpful in destroying injurious insects.

13) Why are insects cultured?

So we can learn from the bacterias and diseases that insects carry and we can combat these problems with new antibiotics and medicines.

Describe 'citizen entomology'. Include the Rothamsted Survey, monarch studies, and the Ladybird Survey.

The Rothamsted Insect Survey comprises 2 national trap networks which provide the most extensive long-term standardized data on terrestrial invertebrates in the world. ... Samples are sent to Rothamsted where aphids are identified to species, species group or genus. The Ladybird Survey aims to facilitate the recording of all the UK's ladybirds. Both of these projects are ways for the citizen entomologists to become involved with either mass trapping or mass studies and conservations.

17) Discuss conservation of Phengaris arion.

The large blue is a species of butterfly in the Lycaenidae family. The species was first defined in 1758 and first discovered in Britain in 1795. In 1979 the species became extinct in Britain but has been successfully reintroduced with new conservation methods. Currently large blue is classified as "near threatened"

20) What do Bombyx mori, Musca domestica, and Tenebrio molitor have in common?

They are all added insects to animal foods.