Quiz 5

Name 3 Insect Orders that have evolved social behavior (Scientific Name and
Common name(s)

Isoptera: termites

Hymenoptera: ants, bees, wasps

Coleoptera: beetles

Hamilton’s rule and altruism

Rule: Altruism is favored by natural selection under these conditions (relatedness, benefits and cost)

A

Relatedness: proportion of shared genes

B

Benefit to the recipient

C

Cost to the altruist

Inclusive fitness (2 components)

Direct fitness from personal reproduction

Indirect fitness from additional reproduction by relatives that is made possible by an individual’s actions

What are two predictions of Kin Selection Theory?

1. animals are more likely to behave altruistically towards their relatives than towards unrelated members of their species

2. the degree of altruism will be greater, the closer the relationship

Spectrum of social behavior

1. Solitary

2. Communal/subsocial

3. Quasisocial

4. Semisocial

5. Eusocial

What are the 4 criteria for eusociality

1. Common nest site

2. Cooperative brood care

3. Reproductive castes/division of labor

4. Generations overlap

What is the role of relatedness in eusocial evolution?

• Reduce conflicts

• Favor cooperation

• Shapes behaviors (such as : Worker policing, and sex allocation strategies)

Name 2 orders of insects with EUSOCIALITY.

Isoptera, and Hymenoptera

morphological caste

• Different anatomy, size, or structures

• Differences arise during development (usually irreversible)

• Strongly linked to specific roles

Behavioral Caste

• Functionally distinct roles without major physical differences

• Look similar morphologically

• Roles defined by behavior

• Often flexible and reversible

Give an example of an insect species with castes. Describe the differences in the castes and how they function in the colony.

Example: Termites (Isoptera)
They have reproductive, worker, and soldier castes. Reproductives reproduce, workers maintain the colony, and soldiers defend it; they differ in morphology and function.

Pollination

The transfer of pollen from the male anther to the female stigma

Defense

any trait that gives a fitness benefit to the plant in the presence of herbivores.

Resistance

any plant trait that reduces the preference or performance of herbivores

Tolerance

the degree to which plant fitness is affected by herbivore damage relative to fitness in the undamaged state (group of related or cloned plants)

Compensation

Measuring how much tolerance there is by comparing damaged and undamaged plants to see values and differences

Coevolution

reciprocal influence of closely associated species on each other in their evolution

Why do animals pollinate plants?

• They get a REWARD: food!

• nectar

• Pollen

• (Nectar concentration matches energy

  requirements of the pollinator: Flowers can produce two kinds of pollen)

Name 4 Orders (Scientific name) of insects that pollinate plants?

Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, diptera, and hymenoptera

Name 3 types of plant resistance

• mechanical defenses

• digestibility reduction/inadequate nutrients

• chemical defenses

Name 2 ways that humans leverage insect-plant coevolution to our benefit

1. relating to an insect-plant mutualism: pollination of fruits and veggies

2. Relating to insect-plant predation: Biological control of weeds

Competition

interaction between organisms/species in which both require a resource that is in limited supply

Predation

an interaction in which one organism kills and consumes another (one benefits, one is harmed)

Parasitism

one organism is benefiting and the other (host) Is harmed

Herbivory

a form of predation where one organism (animal) consumes part or all of plant material

Mutualism

both partners benefit from the relationship.

Commensalism

One species has a positive effect and one species has no effect