Insects and People Quiz 3

Toxin

harmful substance produced by an organism

Venom

toxin injected into an organism through a bite or sting

Poison

harmful substances, regardless of origin

Envenomation

act or passage of poisoning by venom

Types of venom

neurotoxic, cytolytic, hemolytic, hemorrhagic, blistering

Spiders

don’t have antennae, simple eyes, 2 magmata, 2 pairs of modified mouthparts

Scorpions

evolved pedipalps, neurotoxic venom, indirect fertilization

Subsocial

some degrees of parental care

Communal

females use the same nest without cooperation in brood care

Quasisocial

same nest and cooperative brood care

Semisocial

quasisocial plus division of labor

Eusocial

semisocial plus overlap in generations and offspring assist insects (reproductive division of labor)

Constriction

key adaptation in the evolution of socially in Hymenoptera because stringers are used to protect colonies, self-sacrifice

Why did eusociality likely evolve?

high relatedness (genetic hypothesis) or high benefit-to-cost ratio (ecological hypothesis)

Haplodiploid

all males are haploid, females are diploid, sons are unfertilized eggs, daughters are fertilized eggs

Murder hornets

eusocial, also known as northern giant hornet

Necrophages

decomposers, diptera, coleoptera

Parasites and predators

diptera, Coleoptera, wasps

Blow flies (Calliphoridae)

most important for forensic entomology, first arrivals to body, 3 larval instars that last 1-2 weeks

Flesh flies

Sarcophagidae, arrive early, carrion feeders and predators

What size flies should you use to estimate PMI?

largest blow flies

Biological communities

assemblages of communities or discrete interactions

Stages of decay

fresh, bloated, decay, post-decay, skeletal

When do blow/flesh flies dominate?

early stages of decay

When is diversity highest in decay stages?

in the middle stages (bloated/decay)

Challenges for freshwater insects

low O2, buoyancy, locomotion, acquisition of food/resources, reproduction, metamorphosis, salt/water balance

What do you need for flight?

thrust/lift

Bullet ant

rite of passage for young men

Brown recluse spider

has significant venom for humans

Eusocial insects

Yellowjackets and fire ants

Important adaptations in the evolutionary transition from solitary to eusociality in hymenopterans

cooperation among related individuals, ovipositor adapted as stinger, constriction of the waist, haplodiploidy

Stoneflies

sensitive to degradation of water quality

Low O2 adaptations in insects

great diving beetle - aquatic insects take air bubbles next to their spiracles when diving, oxygen can diffuse in from the surrounding water. Only after the bubble collapses due to nitrogen diffusing out into the water does the insect have to return to the surface for more air.