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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. How long can ants be stored in alcohol?

2. Which of the following scientists was NOT involved in the study of hierarchical competition?

3. Which of the following insects are harvested in "ranches" by ants?

4. Which of the following ant species is the most specialized granivore?

5. Which of the following is not a myrmecophile noted in the text?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What is the typical foraging pattern for harvester ants?

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

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

5. What amusing anecdote does V. Wolfgang von Hagen give about leafcutter ants?

6. How is an army ant defined?

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

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

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

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

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

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 3

In the study of kin recognition, scientists performed studies on various other animals and insects in the attempt of understanding how colonized animals recognize one another in a swarm. Choose two studies that did not involve ant colonies and explain their findings in regards to kin recognition. Explain how these two studies affected the way ant kinship was understood.

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This section contains 977 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample