Insect lab quiz 2

What is the function of the insect reproductive system?

Producing and delivering gametes, enabling reproduction through the formation of a zygote

Where is the insect reproductive system located, and how does fertilization occur?

Located in the abdomen, and fertilization is typically internal, which protects the gametes and allows the zygote to form inside the female’s reproductive tract

What are ovarioles and what is their function?

Tubular structures within the insect ovary where eggs develop. Each ovariole contains a germarium, where meiosis occurs, and a vitellarium, where yolk is deposited into the developing egg

What happens in the germarium of the ovariole?

Meiosis takes place to produce haploid egg cells, initiating the process of egg development in female insects

What happens in the vitellarium of the ovariole?

The yolk is loaded into the developing egg to provide it with nutrients necessary for embryonic growth

What are nuptial gifts in insect reproduction?

Materials such as nutrients or chemical compounds that males transfer to females during mating, which can benefit the female or influence her reproductive behavior

How do insects locate suitable mates?

Using a combination of visual signals, auditory signals—usually produced by males—and chemical signals like sex pheromones to communicate across distances

What is oviparity in insects?

A reproductive mode where fertilized eggs are laid outside the female's body, and embryos develop using nutrients stored in the egg

What is ovoviviparity in insects?

Reproductive strategy where the female retains eggs inside her body until they hatch, with the embryos relying on yolk for nutrition rather than direct nourishment from the mother

What is viviparity in insects?

A reproductive mode where the embryo develops inside the female and gets nutrients directly from her, offering more protection but fewer offspring

What is parthenogenesis in insects?

Asexual reproduction where embryos develop from unfertilized eggs, resulting in offspring that are genetic clones or, in some cases, only males

What is viviparous parthenogenesis?

When females give birth to live offspring without fertilization, producing clones quickly without mating

What is insect locomotion?

Includes walking, jumping, swimming, digging, and flying—each supported by specialized leg or muscle adaptations

What are cursorial legs and their function?

Long and slender legs adapted for walking or running. They are unmodified and found in insects like cockroaches and certain desert beetles

What are raptorial legs and their function?

Modified forelegs used by predatory insects to grasp and capture prey. A common example is the praying mantis

What are saltatorial legs and their function?

Specialized for jumping and feature enlarged, muscular femurs. Found in insects like grasshoppers and crickets

What are fossorial legs and their function?

Short, stout legs adapted for digging, often with hardened cuticular structures. An example is the mole cricket

What are natatorial legs and their function?

Broad, flattened legs adapted for swimming. Aquatic insects like diving beetles use these legs

What are scansorial legs and their function?

Adapted for climbing and clinging. These legs are commonly found in lice

What are foragial legs and their function?

Adapted for gathering pollen. In honeybees, the tibia of the hindlegs is equipped with a “pollen basket” that collects and stores pollen during foraging

What are direct flight muscles in insects?

muscles attach to the wings and move them up or down when contracted, allowing precise control.

What are indirect flight muscles in insects?

muscles attach to the thorax, not the wings; their contraction deforms the thorax to move wings, allowing rapid wingbeats.

What are synchronous flight muscles?

Muscles that need one nerve impulse per wingbeat and are found in insects with slower wingbeats like butterflies and dragonflies

What are asynchronous flight muscles?

Muscles that use one nerve impulse for multiple wingbeats, enabling energy-efficient, rapid flight in insects like flies and bees

What are halteres and what is their function?

Small, knob-like organs from hindwings that help flies and similar insects maintain balance during flight

What are sensory neurons and what is their role in insects?

Neurons that detect external stimuli and send signals to the central nervous system for processing

What are motor neurons and what do they do in insects?

Neurons that receive commands from the insect’s central nervous system and send signals to muscles to trigger movement or other responses

What are interneurons and what is their function in the insect nervous system?

Interneurons connect two or more neurons of any type within the insect nervous system, allowing for complex communication and processing of signals

What is the structure and location of the insect central nervous system (CNS)?

Located on the ventral side of the body and consists of a chain of ganglia, including three fused brain ganglia, a subesophageal ganglion, three thoracic ganglia, and several abdominal ganglia

What is the insect brain and where is it located?

Located in the head and is formed by the fusion of three cephalic ganglia, responsible for processing sensory input and coordinating behavior

What is the protocerebrum and what does it control?

The largest and most anterior part of the insect brain, containing the optic lobes and mushroom bodies, and is responsible for vision and higher-order processing

What is the deutocerebrum and what are its functions?

The middle part of the insect brain and includes the antennal lobes and centers that process mechanosensory and motor input from the antennae

What is the tritocerebrum and what does it do?

The posterior region of the insect brain that integrates signals from the rest of the body and helps coordinate systemic responses

What is the subesophageal ganglion and what is its function?

Lies just behind the brain and controls the movements and sensory input of the mouthparts in insects

What are thoracic ganglia and what role do they play in insects?

Three segmental nerve centers, each located in a thoracic segment, that innervate and control the wings and legs through both sensory and motor pathways