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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. When did Creighton create his useful review of "Ants North of Mexico"?

2. What is another way of defining pheromonal communication?

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

4. Which of the following is NOT a phase of colony defense?

5. Which of the following is NOT a category of ant communication?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What happens during the founding stage of an ant colony?

3. What are some of the ways ant colonies control the numbers of queens present in their colony?

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

5. What are "sibling species?"

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

7. How is ant communication categorized?

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

9. What are the most common ways through with an ant colony becomes polygynus?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Ants communicate with one another in a variety of ways, and for a variety of purposes. List at least eight of the twelve categories of ant communication and explain which of these is the most common in ant colonies. Explain the four different ways through which ants communicate using their bodies, and describe each method of communication.

Essay Topic 2

One interesting way that ant colonies choose to expand is by becoming polygynus. Define a polygynus society. Explain the different ways colonies adopt a new queen and become polygynus. Finally, explain how the power within a polygynus society is affected as it grows? How that dispersed power affects organization within the colony.

Essay Topic 3

All ant colonies function with an intricate caste system for labor. Explain the various castes that each colony needs to survive. Explain the role of major and minor players within these castes. How do their roles vary? Finally, explain how an individual ant can move up in the hierarchy of this caste system.

(see the answer keys)

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