L7 Developmental adaptations

Question 1

what 2 options do insects have to cope with unfavourable conditions

Answer 1

migrate or enter a dormant state

Question 2

what does the photoperiod predict

Answer 2

future seasonal conditions

Question 3

how is the photoperiod detected

Answer 3

brain or photoreceptors in eyes

Question 4

give an example of an insect which migrates

Answer 4

monarch butterfly

Question 5

what is the furthest recorded insect migration

Answer 5

18,000 km by plantana flavescens (dragonfly)

Question 6

what is the photoperiod

Answer 6

day length

Question 7

what is involved in pre migratory behaviour

Answer 7

redirecting metabolism to energy storage instead of reproduction

Question 8

how many insects migrate across the South of the UK every year

Answer 8

~ 3.5 trillion

Question 9

in which climate are periods of dormancy most likely to occur

Answer 9

temperate

Question 10

what is the name for dormancy occurring in summer

Answer 10

aestivation

Question 11

what is the name for dormancy occurring in winter

Answer 11

hibernation

Question 12

what are the 2 types of halted development

Answer 12

quiescence and diapause

Question 13

what is quiescence

Answer 13

halted/slowed development as a direct response to unfavourable conditions

Question 14

what is diapause

Answer 14

arrested development and adaptive physiological changes, normal development continues with physiological stimuli

Question 15

which of quiescence and diapause are internally monitored

Answer 15

diapause

Question 16

what is a disadvantage to diapause

Answer 16

responds to physiological cues rather than environmental stimuli so conditions might not always be favourable when emerging

Question 17

what is voltinism

Answer 17

the number of generations per year

Question 18

what is the name for having 1 generation per year

Answer 18

univoltine

Question 19

what is the name for having 2 generations per year

Answer 19

bivoltine

Question 20

what is the name for having more than 2 generations per year

Answer 20

multi / polyvoltine

Question 21

what is the name for having less than 1 generation per year

Answer 21

semivoltine

Question 22

which regions are more likely to have semivoltine insects

Answer 22

colder temperatures or nutritionally poor conditions

Question 23

give an example of a semivoltine insect

Answer 23

period cicadas
broad-bpdied chaser dragonfly

Question 24

what is the name for diapuase which occurs regardless of environmental cues and which insect is it likely to occur in (in terms of generations/year)

Answer 24

obligatory diapause (genetically programmed)
univoltine (one generation per year)

Question 25

what is facultative diapause

Answer 25

diapause which is optional

Question 26

when might facultative diapause occur

Answer 26

survival of unfavourable conditions like food shortage

Question 27

which insects show facultative diapause (in terms of gen/yr)

Answer 27

bivoltine or multivoltine

Question 28

how long can diapause last

Answer 28

days, months, sometimes years

Question 29

when in insect lifecycle is diapause most likely and why

Answer 29

egg or pupal conveniently packaged in protective layer

Question 30

when might reproductive diapause occur

Answer 30

when metabolism must be directed towards surviving environmental stress (migration, production of cryoproducts)

Question 31

what does phenology mean

Answer 31

timing or seasonality

Question 32

what is the negative implication of climate change on diapause

Answer 32

photoperiod is unchanged but temperature is elevated longer growing season creates asynchrony between plants and insects

Question 33

what are the 2 main environmental extremes influencing insects

Answer 33

temperature and humidity

Question 34

what effect does extreme cold have on insects

Answer 34

cause desiccation - freezing body fluids

Question 35

how can insects survive extreme cold

Answer 35

cryoprotection

Question 36

what is supercooling

Answer 36

when liquid is cooled to a temperature below it's freezing point but does not freeze

Question 37

what is a supercooling point

Answer 37

the lowest temperature an insect can be cooled before spontaneous ice nucleation occurs in body fluid

Question 38

how is ice formed

Answer 38

impurities in water act as nucleating points forming ice crystals

Question 39

what is the most common adaptation to cold

Answer 39

freeze avoidance (defences)

Question 40

where is freeze intolerance common

Answer 40

N hemisphere, temperate areas cold seasonal but can last long

Question 41

what do freeze intolerant insects do to prepare for cold

Answer 41

lower supercooling point by producing anti-freezes and heat shock proteins, accumulate cryoprotectant, remove nucleating agents

Question 42

where is freeze tolerance found

Answer 42

S hemisphere and very cold places where freezing periods are extended

Question 43

what do freeze tolerant species do to prepare for cold

Answer 43

produce ice-nucleating and heat-shock proteins, accumulate cryoprotectant

Question 44

why do freeze tolerant insects freeze at higher temps

Answer 44

avoid rapid uncontrolled formation of ice crystals which cause injury

Question 45

give an example of a freeze tolerant insect

Answer 45

arctic woolly bear moth

Question 46

which has a higher mortality, freeze tolerance or avoidance

Answer 46

avoidance

Question 47

what is rapid cold hardening (RCH)

Answer 47

almost instant cold tolerance for brief exposures to non-lethal temperatures before insect is in a cold-hardy state

Question 48

what threats to extreme heat pose

Answer 48

denaturing proteins and water loss

Question 49

what behaviour can allow acclimation to warmer temperature

Answer 49

burrowing

Question 50

what threat does aridity pose

Answer 50

water loss

Question 51

how can water loss be dealt with in arid conditions

Answer 51

enclosure of spiracles, low Na+ levels (low metabolic rate) secretion of uric acid

Question 52

what takes up the majority of a stag beetles life time

Answer 52

underground as larva, 3-7 years