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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 is the most common type of plant-ant symbiosis?

2. Which of the following best describes the body of weaver ants?

3. Which of the following countries is the Eciton Burchelli army ant NOT found?

4. What part of their body do army ants link to create a chain, or barrier?

5. How old must an Eciton army ant be to reach sexual maturity?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is an ant garden?

2. What are the dangers of using an aspirator when collecting ant samples for study?

3. What is dulosis? How is it a form of symbiosis?

4. What type of ant predator did Levieux discover by digging under the soil on the Ivory Coast in 1983?

5. What is acacia?

6. What is the first phase of nest building in a weaver ant colony? Why does this phase require teamwork?

7. What modifications must a parasite's body undergo in order to live successfully off a host's body?

8. How do harvester ants affect vegetation in an ecosystem?

9. How is an army ant defined?

10. How did Moser discover ventilation systems in ant nests in Louisiana?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Each ant colony goes through three distinct phases of the life cycle. Explain what happens during the founding stages of an ant colony. Explain what happens during the ergonomic stages. Finally, explain what happens during the reproductive phase. How do all three of these phases work together as a life cycle?

Essay Topic 2

Kin selection is an important part of ant colony success. Describe the two main arguments to kin selection as given by Darwin and Hamilton. How did their opinions of kin selection differ? Finally, explain the two main hypotheses surrounding kin selection - Mutualism, and Parental Manipulation. How have these hypothesis affected understanding of kin selection as a whole?

Essay Topic 3

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.

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