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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. What is another way of defining pheromonal communication?

2. Which of the following groups of ants does the least amount of physical work within the colony?

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

4. How many times their own body weight do Idaho harvester ants retrieve during their lifetime?

5. Which of the following is NOT a factor distracting from optimal foraging within an ant colony?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. How does Wilson argue the Paleozoic Era changed insects?

4. What malleable criteria were used to decide that ant colonies were units rather than large groups of individuals?

5. How do various ant species, as discussed in this novel, protect their nests from spiders?

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

7. How is altruistic behavior in ant colonies defined?

8. How have leafcutter ants altered the landscape in which they live?

9. What defense mechanism is unique to the Asian ant species known as Camponotus Saundersi?

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

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 2

In the introduction of the text, authors Holldolber and Wilson argue the importance of ants within the scientific and ecologic communities. Explain why ants are important to most landscapes in this world. Explain why Wilson believes vertebrate animals are favored over invertebrates in science books and studies.

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.

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