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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following elements was brought by ants to the Amazon rainforest?
(a) Formic acid.
(b) Sulfur.
(c) Coal dust.
(d) Gold filaments.

2. Which of the following is NOT a ways Wilson describes foreign ants being treated?
(a) They are killed.
(b) They are pestered with constant nipping and leg pulling.
(c) They are accepted, but withheld food.
(d) They are forced to lock mandibles in a dual.

3. Which of the following acts is NOT part of the Founding Stage in an ant colony?
(a) Rearing young.
(b) Mating.
(c) Constructing a nest.
(d) Foraging for food.

4. Which of the following worlds does Wilson claim that ants run?
(a) The coastal world.
(b) The terrestrial world.
(c) All of the above.
(d) The aquatic world.

5. Which of the following groups of insects uses kin recognition similar to ants?
(a) Locust.
(b) Dragonflies.
(c) Wasps.
(d) Honey bees.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which of the following is NOT part of an ant's head?

2. What does the stridulatory organ in an ant's anatomy do?

3. How do the heads of major workers compare to the heads of minor workers?

4. Which of the following lands is NOT free of ant species?

5. How many categories of ant communication are there?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is altruistic behavior in ant colonies defined?

2. How did the study of swallows affect the way scientists viewed spatial distribution?

3. What is a "super colonial" ant colony?

4. How has the rearing of isolated ant larvae affected scientists' understanding of reductionism?

5. What is the most common form of communication between ants, and how is it expressed?

6. How do male ants function within the colony caste system?

7. Why are extra queens often considered an unnecessary burden within a colony?

8. Why are male ants typically neglected in taxonomic studies?

9. How does the caste system within a given ant colony change according to the demographic?

10. How do Idaho harvester ants exhibit altruistic behavior?

(see the answer keys)

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