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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. Where do weaver ants live, exclusively?

2. In what part of the ant's anatomy are the unicellular glands?

3. How many varieties of ant-plant symbiosis are categorized in this chapter?

4. What is the main component of a weaver ant's nest?

5. Which of the following is NOT a type of symbiosis found in ant species?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does density specialization affect competition with ant species?

2. How do Solenopsis flies affect the productivity of Apocephalus ants in Texas?

3. In his study of army ants published in 1948, what does Schnerila claim happens to the queen as her brood reaches maturity?

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

5. What interesting collecting method did Harlow Shapely use when preserving ants?

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

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

8. What is an ant garden?

9. How do weaver ants build their nests?

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

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

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.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 907 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample