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