Entomology Science Olympiad

Insect

An invertebrate with several distinguishing characteristics including segmented bodies with paired, many jointed legs; 3 major body sections; 6 legs; and 2 antennae.

Kingdom

Animalia: Heterotrophic; Eukaryotic; Multicellular; No cell wall, no chloroplasts; Motile (able to move, opposite of sessile); Sense Organs.

Phylum

Arthropoda: Chitinous exoskeleton that must be shed during growth (molting); Jointed paired appendages (legs and antennae); Segmented bodies arranged into regions called tagmata (e.g., head, thorax, abdomen); Bilateral symmetry; Ventral nervous system; Open, dorsal circulatory system.

Subphylum

Mandibulata: Have modified appendages (mandibles) flanking the mouth and used as jaws.

Superclass

Hexapoda: 3 pairs of legs (6 total) that are located on the thorax.

Class

Insecta: Head, thorax, abdomen; 3 pairs of legs (one on each thoracic segment); One pair of antennae on head; 1-2 pairs of wings in most; Pair of compound eyes in most, along with 1-3 simple eyes.

Morphogenesis

All changes that involve growth, molting, and maturation.

Molting

Triggered by hormones released when an insect's growth reaches the physical limits of its exoskeleton, marking the end of one instar or growth stage, and the start of another.

Imago

An insect that has become sexually mature, at which point molting stops and energy for growth is channeled into production of eggs or sperm.

Apolysis

Separation of old exoskeleton from epidermis.

Ecdysis

Shedding the old exo- and epicuticle.

Ametabola

No metamorphosis; young resembles the adult but is smaller, with development involving increasing the insect's size by going through successive molts.

Hemimetabola

Incomplete metamorphosis; developmental stages include egg, nymph, adult.

Holometabola

Complete metamorphosis; developmental stages include egg, larva, pupa, adult.

Eruciform

Caterpillar; body cylindrical with short thoracic legs and 2-10 pairs of fleshy abdominal prolegs.

Campodeiform

Crawler; elongated, flattened body with prominent antennae and/or cerci, thoracic legs adapted for running.

Scarabaeiform

White grub; body robust and 'C'-shaped with no abdominal prolegs and short thoracic legs.

Elateriform

Wireworm; body long, smooth, and cylindrical with hard exoskeleton and very short thoracic legs.

Vermiform

Maggot; body fleshy, worm-like with no head capsule or walking legs.

Obtect

Chrysalis; developing appendages held tightly against the body by a shell-like casing, often found enclosed within a silken cocoon.

Exarate

All developing appendages free and visible externally.

Coarctate

Body encased within the hard exoskeleton of the next-to-last larval instar.

Solitary

Not sharing a nest or providing care for offspring.

Communal

Members of the same generation use the same composite nest site without cooperating in brood care.

Subsocial

Adults provide some kind of parental care for their offspring.

Quasisocial

Members of the same generation use the same composite nest site and also cooperate in brood care.

Semisocial

Cooperative brood care within a composite nest is provided by a worker caste that is more or less sterile.

Eusocial

Cooperative brood care within a composite nest is provided by a worker caste that is more or less sterile and lives long enough to assist the parents.

Eusociality

Insect social structure with cooperative breeding.

Common Nest Site

Shared living space for a colony.

Cooperative Care

Joint effort in nurturing offspring.

Reproductive Division of Labor

Sterile individuals support reproductive members.

Overlap of Generations

Offspring assist while parents are alive.

Advantages of Group Living

Enhanced survival and resource acquisition.

Contagious Pathogens

Diseases spreading rapidly in large colonies.

Social Parasites

Organisms exploiting colonies for resources.

Insect Communication

Behavior-altering actions between organisms.

Kin Recognition

Identifying relatives within a colony.

Courtship Facilitation

Signals aiding mating interactions.

Tactile Communication

Physical contact used for signaling.

Antennal Tapping

Insects touch antennae for recognition.

Tandem Running

Leader-follower behavior in foraging.

Honeybee Dance Language

Movement patterns conveying food location.

Chemical Communication

Use of chemical signals for interaction.

Pheromones

Species-specific chemical signals for communication.

Allelochemicals

Chemical signals between different species.

Allomones

Signals benefiting the sender.

Kairomones

Signals benefiting the receiver.

Synomones

Signals benefiting both sender and receiver.

Acoustic Communication

Sound-based signaling among insects.

Visual Communication

Use of sight for signaling.

Active Signals

Costly, deliberate signaling actions.

Passive Signals

Inherent traits advertising species identity.

Vibration Signals

Substrate vibrations used for communication.

Instantaneous Feedback

Immediate response in tactile communication.

Localized Area

Communication effective in close proximity.

Environmental Barriers

Obstacles affecting signal transmission.

Information Content

Higher due to signal frequency and duration.

Firefly Communication

Pulses of light used in courtship dialogues.

Unique Flash Pattern

Species-specific light patterns in fireflies.

Visual Communication Benefits

Effective over long distances and while moving.

Speed of Light

Visual signals travel faster than sound.

Clear Line of Sight

Necessary for effective visual communication.

Predator Interception

Visual signals can be detected by predators.

Daylight Limitation

Visual signals are ineffective at night.

Metabolically Expensive Signals

Active signals require significant energy to produce.

Trophic Levels

Insects are consumers in food chains.

Phytophagy

Insects that feed on plants.

Monophagous

Insects feeding on a single host species.

Oligophagous

Insects with broader host ranges than monophagous.

Polyphagous

Insects capable of detoxifying various plant defenses.

Feeding Guild

Species competing for the same resource.

Visual Cues

Shapes/colors insects associate with food.

Zoophagy

Insects that catch and kill other animals.

Predators

Insects that kill multiple prey individuals.

Parasite

Organism living on another, deriving nutrients.

Endoparasites

Parasites living inside the host's body.

Ectoparasites

Parasites living on the host's surface.

Hematophagy

Blood feeding by parasitic insects.

Parasitoid

Insect living on a single host, eventually kills it.

Hyperparasites

Parasites of other parasitoid species.

Saprophages

Insects that consume dead organic matter.

Decomposers

Organisms recycling dead material in ecosystems.

Exoskeleton

External skeleton providing support and protection.

Small Size Advantage

Minimizes resource needs and predation risk.

Metamorphosis

Developmental transformation in insect life cycles.

Adaptability

Insects' ability to adjust to environments.

Migration

Seasonal movement to find resources.

Diapause

Dormancy period for survival in adverse conditions.

Camouflage

Adaptation allowing insects to blend into environments.

Flight

Unique ability of insects for transportation and escape.

Fecundity

High egg production rate in female insects.

Fertility

High hatching success of laid eggs.

Spermatheca

Storage organ for sperm in female insects.

Unbalanced sex ratio

More females than males enhancing reproductive success.

Asexual reproduction

Offspring produced without male fertilization.

Incomplete metamorphosis

Gradual changes without distinct larval and adult stages.

Complete metamorphosis

Distinct larval, pupal, and adult life stages.

Pupa

Transitional stage during complete metamorphosis.

Thermal convection

Air currents aiding insect flight over long distances.