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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which of the following insects is most detrimental to ant populations?

2. What happens when a queen ant is found to be infertile?

3. Which of the following acts is NOT part of the Founding Stage in an ant colony?

4. How long does it take a foreign ant to produce a new colony odor?

5. Which of the following terms describes an ant colony's maintenance by self-regulation?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How is the workload divided between major and minor workers?

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

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

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

6. What happens during the reproductive stage of an ant colony?

7. How do ant colonies treat foreign ants that wander in the nest?

8. How do ant colonies succeed in securing true slavery?

9. What realization did scientists make about the Myrmica ants ability to differentiate larvae from eggs?

10. What is acoustic communication? How is it achieved within an ant community?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Many ant colonies participate in slavery techniques that boost productivity with in the colony. Define the term "true slavery" as it is discussed in the novel. Explain what methods are traditionally used by ant colonies to secure slaves within their nest. Finally, explain how slave work functions within a colony? How it preserves maximum output for minimal effort.

Essay Topic 2

The final chapter of the text is extremely informative in the process of collecting, preserving, and studying ant species. Describe the proper process for collecting ant species from the wild and transporting them back to the study lab. Explain the proper process for preserving ants for museum work. Finally, explain the proper process for transporting entire colonies from one nest to another.

Essay Topic 3

Harvester ants have been widely studied, even back in Biblical times. Describe the characteristics of a harvester ant. Summarize at least one study about harvester ants presented in the text. Finally, explain the effects harvester and have on vegetation throughout the world.

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