ENTM 010 Final Study Guide

1. Explain the plant-pollinator mutualism. Think about what each partner gets out of the interaction.

• positive-positive

• both will benefit

• benefits by feeding on food rewards provided by the flower aka nectar and pollen

• the plant benefits as the pollinator moves from flower to flower

• (ex: evolve flower traits, change their nectar concentration to attract more pollinators)

2. What is a pollinator and how does it differ from a floral visitor?

• Pollinator: an animal that transports pollen from one flowers’ anthers (male) to a flowers stigma (female) to accomplish fertilization.

• Differs b/c a floral visitor is an animal that visits a flower to collect resources (nectar, pollen, etc.), but do not pollinate.

3. What insects are important pollinators? What are the different pollination strategies?

• Important pollinators: bees, birds, bats, butterflies, beetles, and moths.

• Different pollinator strategies: self pollination & cross pollination

• self pollination: when pollen grains from the anther (male) fall directly onto the stigma (female) of the same flower.

• cross pollination: the process of applying pollen from one flower to the pistils of another flower.

4. We described a few common pollinator syndromes. How do bee, hummingbird and moth syndromes differ?

• Hummingbird syndrome- they go for red color, large nectar and flowers that fit to their needs

• Bees syndrome- more or less tubular flowers and yellow, blue, or purple color with nectar and pollen 

• Moth syndrome- unwittingly pick up pollen on their legs, or bodies and transfer it from flower to flower

5. Why is pollination important to us? To plants? To pollinators? What can we do to maximize pollination services provided by bees?

• It is important to humans because 35% of the world's food crops depend on animal pollinators to reproduce.

• They are important to plants because they use the pollen to produce a fruit or seed.

• To maximize pollination we must create more pollinator friendly habitats by planting wildflower strips and supplementing. 

6. What is the Pollinator Crisis and what does this mean for food production in the U.S.?

• There are fewer places to feed and breed, habitats that pollinators need in order to survive are shrinking. 

• Without pollination, healthy foods are less prevalent which means less healthy options, which could increase chronic diseases causing excess death 

7. What is colony collapse disorder (CCD) and how does it relate to the Pollinator Crisis?

• The phenomenon that occurs when the majority of worker bees in a colony disappear and leave behind a queen, plenty of food, and a few nurse bees to care for the remaining bees and the queen 

• This relates because this lessens the amount of bees which means less pollinated crops and this can raise the cost of food 

8. What are some causes of bee decline and how do they affect bees?

• Suburban development, farming industries, climate change by shifting temperatures, road construction, pest and predators 

generalist

• not picky

• visit a wide range of floral types, shapes, colors, and species

• NOT reliant on the success of an one host plant

• can feed on a lot of different things

• bees need to learn to adapt to different flowers

specialist

• picky

• evolved to visit one or a few plant species

• highly reliant on the success of their host plant

What is forensic entomology and what are some potential applications?

The use of specific identification, known growth rates, and insect succession data to determine both the location and approximate time of the victims death PMI post mortem interval 

Why can some insects be so informative at a crime scene?

• Collect insects found at the scene/at the body

• Raise the insects if they are pupating (identify the insects);

• Learn around the time the body started decomp (how long the body has been there)

• By studying larval stages we can estimate postmortem index, any change in position of the corpse as well as the cause of death

What are the stages of decomposition, when do they occur (how long after death) and what are some insects that infest each stage?

• Autolysis (destruction of cells and enzymes)

• bloat (leaked enzymes produce gases)

• active decay (putrefaction accelerates, body fluids are forced out of the body orifices)

• & skeletonization (soft tissues of a corpse or carcass have decayed and dried)

• 1st stage flies

• 2nd stage blowflies

• 3rd stage maggots, ants, beetles, flies

• 4th stage 

What does a forensic entomologist need to collect at the scene? What do they need to do at the lab? What information can you learn from these insects?

• Collect insects found at the scene/at the body

• Raise the insects if they are pupating (identify the insects); Learn around the time the body started decomp (how long the body has been there)

How do insects affect bloodstain analysis?

• Adult insect regurgitate and defecate some of the ingested food onto surfaces at or near the crime scene, creating unique stains

• Fly tracks: footprints

• Sly specks: poop spots and regurgitation 

What is a pathogen? What is a vector? What is a disease?

• Pathogen: a bacterium, virus, or microorganism that can cause disease and attach themselves to host

• Vector: insects that mediate the transmissions of infections

• Disease: illnesses that are spread through the bite of an infected insect

What is virulence?

the degree of harm a disease is to the host.

What do we mean by “transmission” in regards to disease?

transmission is the passing of disease from 1 subject to another breaking down the vector or scientist trying to treat the pathogen.

What is the difference between vertical and horizontal transmission? What are examples of both?

Vertical: spread from parents to offspring during reproduction (ex: intracellular bacteria and viruses in the egg).

Horizontal: spreads between any other types of individuals not through reproduction; anything can be transmitted (ex: mites can transmit viruses between bees, ex: common cold).

What diseases can insects vector and what insects serve as vectors?

Diseases: Dengue fever, West Nile, Lyme, & Malaria

Insects: mosquitos, fleas, and ticks

A) What is plague? B) What factors may have increased the likelihood of plague? C) Has there been plague in the US? Why is plague not an epidemic in the US today?

A) a contagious disease that spreads rapidly and kills many people

B) High density living, lack of sanitation, rodents and fleas, ignorance

C) Early 1900’s in SF, and no plague due to modern day medicine and less ignorance 

Bubonic plague: most common, flea bites and causes swelling of the lymph nodes 

Septicemic plague: flea bites, affects blood, turns skin black ( black death)

Pneumonic Plague: affects lungs spreads through air (sneezing) 

What is West Nile Virus (WNV)?

• Vectors: mosquitoes a fever may develop and other symptoms.

• Can cause life threatening illnesses such as encephalitis, meningitis 

• Yellow fever mosquitoes and asian tiger are vectors 

• Host: humans, horses, and birds

What is malaria? Where is malaria most widespread? Vectors of malaria belong to what mosquito genus?

• Malaria is an acute chronic infection with fever and can be fatal 

• Causative agent- plasmodium ( blood)

• Vector: mosquitoes anopheles 

• symptoms : fever, chills, sweats, headaches, nausea, malaise 

• Malaria is most widespread around the whole world in 87 countries and kills more people than tuberculosis, 249 million confirmed cases 

What is Yellow Fever and why is it called Yellow Fever?

• It is a rare illness that causes fever, aches and pain.

• Causes the skin to be yellow, liver damage causes jaundice 

• Vectored by yellow fever mosquito

• Causative agent: yellow fever virus 

What is elephantiasis?

• Disfiguring disease, lymph nodes harbor filarial nematodes leading to incomplete lymph drainage 

• Causal agent: thread like parasites, called nematodes, such as Wuchereria 

• Vector: mosquitoes and multiple genera of them 

What is Zika virus fever? What can be done to treat or prevent its spread? Vectors belong to what mosquito genus?

• Vector: aedes aegypti mosquito 

• Common symptoms are fever, rash, joint pain or conjunctivitis ( red eyes)

• Caused by zika virus, transmitted through mosquitoes, sexually transmitted, and maternally transmitted 

• Treatment is just to treat the symptoms 

What is Chikungunya? What can be done to treat or prevent its spread?

• A viral disease, symptoms present 3-7 days after being bitten by a mosquito, non fatal 

• Albopictus mosquito

• Eliminate breeding sites

Leishmaniaise: parasitic disease 

• 30 different sand fly species 

• 20 different protozoan parasites 

• No vaccine 

• Infection causes skin lesions

What is entomophagy? How many different types of insects are commonly eaten? What insects are most popular edible insects? Which insects are most nutritious? What are the benefits of eating insects?

• Eating insects 

• Beetles, caterpillars, lepidoptera, hymenoptera 

• Grasshoppers, locusts, crickets and have high protein 61.3%

• Benefits: antioxidants, less impact on natural resources like water and land, high efficiency, no greenhouse gas emissions (sustainability)

How is entomophagy sustainable?

• less impact on natural resources like water and land, high efficiency, no greenhouse gas emissions (sustainability)

How common/widespread is entomophagy? What regions of the world have the highest rate of entomophagy? Why might this be?

• Eating insects is more common in tropical climates than cooler climates

What are some of the reasons reported for people not wanting to adopt entomophagy? What are some strategies to address these?

• Decrease carbon footprint, making it more edible (tasty)

How are edible insects obtained? Which is (currently) the most common way edible insects are obtained? How might this pose an environmental/conservation problem?

• Beetles most common globally, caterpillars in sub saharan africa, bees, wasps, and ats: common in latin america 

• How it's obtained: wild-harvest, semi-domestication, agriculture 

• ⅓ of edible insect species are currently threatened by overharvesting, deforestation, habitat destruction

What are food defect action levels?

• FDA regulations, detect that there are no health hazards in human food such as insect infestations/ contamination, insect filth/ rodent filth. 

• How much insect contamination is acceptable on a per food basis

Entomophagy: are crop pests usually eaten? Why or why not?

• Nope, Most cost-effective to kill/control pests before they cause issues 

• Too small 

• Can hide in parts of plants

Meghan's research delved into what sensory cues (tactile, olfactory, visual, etc) from workers lead to reproductive development in bumble bee queens. What two types of sensory cues did she investigate? Which cue was found to be critical for the development of bumble bee queen ovaries?

• Visual cues are not too important because the bee hive is typically dark 

• A queen bumble bee starts her nest completely on her own and does brood care 

• Other queens only lay eggs

• Bumble bees: once the first workers emerge, she then falls into the typical role of just reproducing.

• Meghan’s research delved into tactile and olfactory cues 

• ^ It shows that tactile cues are more critical for the development of queen ovaries. 

ADD and PMI

Accumulated Degree Days

Post Mortem Interval

ADD total

total dev * temp

ADD lab

temp * time

ADD total = ADD field + ADD lab

ADD field = ADD total - ADD lab

equation to find PMI ?

ADD field / Temp field