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Entm 1000 midterm 2 > week 7 > Flashcards

week 7 Flashcards

(94 cards)

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1
Q

how many individual ants on earth

A

20 quadrillion

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2
Q

how many megatons of biomass of dry carbon of ants

A

12

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3
Q

what is mutualism

A

An ecological interaction between species that benefits both interacting species

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4
Q

3 examples of mutualism

A

Pollination: bees and flowers
Improved nutrition of blood: blood feeding insects and microbes
Farming: sheep and shepherd

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5
Q

how is livestock farming a mutualism in humans

A

Humans use livestock to process low quality food into high quality food
Livestock species benefits
More of them exist because of farming

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6
Q

what insect group do ants farm

A

aphids

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7
Q

how do ants control aphids

A

herding behaviour
Wing removal of alate aphids
Secretion of chemicals that slow aphid walking

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8
Q

how do ants defend their livestock herds

A

Attacking with mandibles
Spraying formic acid

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9
Q

what do ants eat from their aphid farms and how

A

Aphids excrete honeydew which is sugar solution
Ants milk aphids by swallowing excreted droplets
Ants occasionally eat some aphids

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10
Q

how do ants transport resources harvested from aphid farms (2)

A

Ants travel from aphid herds to nests aided by trail pheromones
Ant to ant food transfer (trophallaxis)

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11
Q

how do ants store resources from aphid farms

A

All ants can act as storage vessels

Honeypot ants have a caste called repletes
-Specialized to store food in abdomen
-Filled and emptied by trophallaxis

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12
Q

what are 2 types of ant farmers

A

livestock farmers
arable farmers

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13
Q

what tribe of ants culture and eat fungus, where are they located?

A

the attini tribe

central and south america

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14
Q

what are some traits of the attini tribe of ants

A

Has obligate dependance on symbiotic fungi for food
Atta nests up to 40 tons of soil
Atta and acromyrmex have polymorphic species
-Castes of specialized workers

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15
Q

how much vegetation do ants of the attini tribe consume. How does this compare to cattle? what percent of the cellulose is converted to carbohydrates?

A

80% leaf damage and 17% biomass consumption in rainforests

In grasslands atta species
Consumes same amount of vegetation per hectare as cattle

45% of cellulose converted to carbohydrates

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16
Q

how does a leaf cutting ant nest operate (what are the steps)

A

Ants harvest leaf pieces

Trail of transporter workers

Transporter workers give pieces to processing workers

Leaf pieces converted to mulch substrate for fungal growth

Fungus produces gongylidia
Food for ants

Queen sits on fungus harden laying eggs

Larvae eat the gongylidia and cared for by nurse workers

Waste leaf material, dead ants and dead fungus transported to dump chambers

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17
Q

what are the 2 different roles in leaf cutter ants when they are harvesting leaves (what predator do they have)

A

Minor workers protect medium sized workers (atta cephalotes) from parasitoid phorid decapitating flies
Visual cues

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18
Q

why are leaf cutter ants pests of human agriculture

A

Ants increase in abundance after forest is cut
When bush is cleared for farms
Farms in tropical regions often abandoned due to ants

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19
Q

why are ants beneficial to forests

A

Introduce large amounts of organic matter into tropical forest soils
Affect nutrient supply and cycling
Ant refuse areas contain 48 times the nutrients found in leaf litter
Plants increase production of fine roots

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20
Q

why do leaf cutter ants and their fungus have a mutualism

A

Fungus growth in ideal conditions of temp, humidity and darkness
Ants removed wax to allow fungus growth
Fungus digest cellulose and provide easy to manipulate gongylidia structures

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21
Q

how do leaf cutter ants practice crop management

A

Fertility management
Waste management
Cultivar selection and monocultures

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22
Q

how do leaf cutter ants practice Transportation of inputs and harvest - how much leaf fragments do they harvest

A

Collection of 6000 kg of leaf fragments/year
Trophallaxis

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23
Q

what do queens do with fungus when establishing a new nest

A

Before a mating flight, queen collects small amount of fungus in mouth
She carries the fungus until establishes nest, then uses to start fungus garden
Each ant grows narrow range of fungal cultivars

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24
Q

how much sperm does a leafcutter queen bring with, how long does this last?

A

After mating, queen stores 206-320 million sperm (last ~10 years of queen life)

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25
where do leafcutter ants like establishing nests and why
Prefer treefall gaps More sunlight and nutrient rich leaves
26
how many leafcutter queens successfully establish nests? why and what do they do to account for this?
Low colony survivorship Of 13300, only 12 survived 3 months (atta capiguara) 2.5-10% Very difficult Why they produce massive number of queens
27
what are the two kinds of initial eggs leafcutter queens lay when establishing a new nest
small: first brood of larvae Large: food for larvae
28
how do leafcutter ants practice pest management
Fungus garden can be invaded by other fungi and bacteria Gardeners weed the garden and secrete compounds that promote fungal growth and suppress pests
29
what is one of the main parasitic fungi that attacks fungal gardens of leafcutter ants? why is it so deadly and how do leafcutter ants respond?
escovopsis Parasite can be transmitted from one garden to another Rapidly destroys gardens, kills colony Ants respond by increasing garden weeding rate
30
how do leafcutter ants use fungicide to fight off escovopsis
Fungicide producing bacteria Ants carry a bacterium that makes chemicals that inhibit escovopsis Bacteria also secrete compounds to promote growth of cultivated fungi
31
why are fungicide producing bacteria a third mutualist of leafcutter ants
Bacteria also benefit Get a place to live (structures called crypts inside ants exoskeleton) Get source of food (glandular secretions) from ants
32
how are bacterial fungicides transported to new leafcutter nests
Queens On mating flights carry bacterial fungicide producers for new colony
33
what is myrmecochory
seed dispersal by ants
34
what are elaiosomes and why do the seeds produce this
Food bodies on seeds with chemical attractants for ants Ants carry seeds to nests Seeds are hard and discarded Plants get there seeds spread into nutrient rich ground
35
how many plant species is Myrmecochory present in
In many species 1500 plant species in australia 1300 plant species in africa 300 rest of world
36
when were the first ancestral ant farmers emerge
50 mil yrs ago
37
what 4 animals practice agriculture today
ants, Humans, termites and bark beetles
38
when did humans learn agriculture
10000 yrs ago
39
what order and family are lady beetles
Order: coleoptera Family: coccinellidae
40
what does coccineus mean in greek
berr red
41
how many species of lady beetles worldwide? how many in na?
6000 species worldwide 475 species in NA
42
what are the defining features of a lady beetle
Clubbed Antenna Pronotum covering thorax Elytron 4 tarsal segments
43
what is special about ladybeetle hemolymph
Reflex bleeding If under attack Have to rupture structures inside them to bleed stinky
44
why do lady beetles have bright color
aposematic coloration (due to hemolymph)
45
what alkaloids do ladybeetles have in their hemolymph that is unique
Coccideline hippodamine
46
what are 2 types of mimicry seen by lady beetles and how are they used
Batesian mimicry Other insects use batesian mimicry to mimic lady beetles Mullerian mimicry Lady beetle species very similar looking
47
do all individuals in a lady beetle species have same coloration? What is this called?
Polymorphism Individuals in same species can differ in color patterns
48
what are 2 myths about lady beetles
Small lady beetles are young lady beetles Old lady beetles have more spots than young
49
what are the 4 stages of a lady beetles life cycle
egg larval pupa adult
50
where do lady beetles lay eggs and why
Deposit eggs on leaves Have to deposit eggs where there's food Where large aphid colonies
51
how many larval stages do lady beetles have
4
52
what do lady beetle larvae feed on
Feed on other eggs and aphids Feed on trophic eggs Unfertilized eggs mom lays for larvae Cannibalistic Eat other ladybug eggs
53
what do adult lady beetles eat
Other insects, mostly Aphids Some Eat pollen Eat own skin after molting Mexican bean beetle and Squash beetle Herbivorous pests
54
how do lady beetles move around
Hindwings under hardened elytra
55
how do lady beetles overwinter in general
Some do it in large groups
56
what is special about asian lady beetle overwintering
Overwinter in mountains In manitoba only mountains are buildings Try to overwinter in buildings
57
what are some lady beetle enemies (6)
Spiders Other insects Other lady beetle larvae Birds Ants defending aphids Parasitoid wasp
58
what was the result of an experiment testing how ants affect predators eating aphids?
Ants didn’t affect how much predators were able to eat aphids
59
explain the "zombie bodyguards" of lady beetle
Parasitoid wasp Dinocampus coccinellae Hymenoptera: braconidae Keeps ladybeetle alive while living in and emerging from ladybeetle Living lady beetles protect parasitoids 25% of lady beetles recovered after wasp emerged
60
what pests have lady beetles been used to control
Used to control herbivorous insects Aphids, coccids
61
why are lady beetles no longer used as much for controlling pests
Very few have been successful Not specialist enough for the pest they are trying to control
62
how do lady beetles have synergistic interactions with other predators (specifically ground beetle)
Interact with other predators They consume more when combined with ground beetle Gound predator benefits from lady beetle (aphids go to ground to escape lady beetle and are eaten by ground beetle)
63
what is the history of the seven spotted lady beetle in na (coccinella septempuncta)
Native of europe Introduced in USA to control aphids in 1956, established 1973 Habitat generalist
64
what is the history of Multicolored asian lady beetle (harmonia axyridis) in na
Native of asia Introduced in USA in 1918, found again in Louisiana in 1988 Increase numbers following outbreaks of soybean aphid Aggressive intra-guild predator Overwinters inside buildings
65
what is interesting about the life cycle of the Convergent lady beetle (hippodamia convergens)
Migrate to valley floor in spring to feed and reproduce Feed on aphids Migrate to mountains in fall to overwinter Feed on pollen and nectar
66
what are the odds of death by anaphylaxis from wasp sting
1 in a million
67
what are 2 reasons wasps sting
Defense Individual Nest Attack Predation Nest usurpation
68
what is special about a honeybee stinger
Honeybees have barbed stinger Stays in skin Leaves venom sack in skin
69
how did stingers evolve in wasps/bees? How does this relate to females?
Modified ovipositor Why only female wasps/bees can sting
70
what are some defining characteristics of bees
Long antenna Narrow waist (between first and second thorax segment) Wings folded at rest Four wings Hairy bodies Hairy hind legs Compound eyes small on head Pollen on legs many different Colors
71
what is different about wasps from bees
Bodies less hairy Don’t carry pollen More likely to be yellow/black/white -Still different colors
72
what are some defining characteristics of flies? why is this important when identifying wasps/bees?
Two wings Wings out at rest Thick waist Big compound eyes Small antennae Hind wings reduced into haltares Some are wasp and bee mimics
73
why do solitary wasps not sting as much
Not as aggressively defending nests -Not many resources Ones that have ovipositors not an issue at all
74
how many species is in the Vespidae family of wasps? how many are social?
~4000 species 1000 social
75
what are some common vespidae classifactions? What are the 2 common types we characterize?
Paper wasps, hornets and yellow jackets 2 common groups we characterize Bald faced hornet yellow jacket wasp
76
what is the distribution of vespidae wasps
Nearly all temperate regions Most of what we have not native
77
what are some characteristics of paper wasps
Tend to be more slender Stinging Open nests -Can see cells and wasps climbing on outside
78
are social wasps always social?
Social but solitary Annual cycle Solitary queen overwinters New nest every year
79
what is contained in social wasp cells? do they reuse these cells? what about nests?
Cells contain brood Do not store food in cells Reuse cells Do not reuse nest
80
what is larval-worker trophallaxis in social wasps
Larvae scrape cell walls to make noise Begging Workers milk Larvae act as a food reserve Specialized Salivary glands on larvae analogous to crop
81
how far do foraging wasps forage and what do they collect
Distance 160m 50% 460m 90% 1000m 100% Don’t tend to forage to far Collect Sugar Water Protein Dead carcasses or other insects Wood pulp for nest
82
What are some social wasp stimuli and how do they communicate with other wasps?
Odor Color Visual other wasps -Dead wasp -Wasp activity Conspecific wasps Pheromones
83
what are 2 different kinds of social wasp nests
Aerial nest Construct own cavity Underground nest Excavation Use Existing cavities Old barns, houses, cars
84
how do social wasps defend their hive? how does this change with the size of their hive?
Defend aggressively, especially as colony size increases
85
what are the venom componenets in wasps and bees for
Different compounds to induce pain
86
how is insect sting pain measured
Schmidt pain index Scale from 1-4
87
what are some beneficial aspects of social wasps
Predators Pollinators (not as good as bees)
88
what are some harmful aspects of social wasps
Damage plants Sap Bark Damage fences, decks, property Eat wood to create pulp for nests Make structures in dumb areas Harmful structural damage Nuisance pest Harmful to other beneficial insects Honey bees
89
what are wasps attracted to (What can this knowledge be used for)
Erratic Movement Certain Odour Darker Colour avoiding stings
90
is there anything you can do to neutralize a wasp sting? (ie. onion, penny, etc.)
no nothing past normal injury care (eg. polysporn)
91
does the paper bag method work as a wasp deterent
Doesn’t work Wasps don’t care
92
does fabric softener repel wasps
no
93
is trapping wasps an effective method to get rid of them
Will kill wasps but not enough to affect population Some colonies have thousands of individuals
94
what works best to destroy nests
Best not to take diy solutions (boiling water, gasoline, etc.)

Entm 1000 midterm 2 (4 decks)

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