Insects

Insects

Middle School

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Learning Objectives

• Describe how insect behaviors and structures help them survive and reproduce.

• Explain how pheromones and symbiosis affect an insect's survival and mating.

• Analyze how insect pollination affects the reproduction of plants.

• Use evidence to argue how a behavior affects an insect's reproductive success.

Key Vocabulary

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Adaptation

An adaptation is a special trait or characteristic that helps an organism survive in its environment.

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Animal Behavior

Animal behavior refers to the various actions and responses of an organism that affect its survival.

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Entomologist

An entomologist is a specialized scientist who dedicates their studies to understanding insects and their behaviors.

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Foragers

Foragers are animals, such as certain types of insects, that actively search for and gather food.

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Honeydew

Honeydew is a sweet, sugary liquid waste product that is excreted by small insects like aphids.

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Pheromone

A pheromone is a specific chemical substance that an animal produces to communicate with others.

Key Vocabulary

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Pollination

The transfer of pollen, often by insects or wind, which helps plants to make seeds.

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Probability

A measure of how likely it is that a specific event will happen or not happen.

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Reproduction

The biological process by which new individual organisms or “offspring” are produced from their parents.

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Social Insects

These are insect species that live together in large, organized colonies, like ants or bees.

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Specialized Structure

A specific body part that has a unique function, helping an organism to survive well.

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Spiracles

Small openings on the surface of an insect’s body through which they breathe air.

Key Vocabulary

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Symbiosis

Symbiosis is a close and long-term interaction between two different biological species in an ecosystem.

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Unique Survival Behaviors

Hissing Cockroach

• ​This insect hisses by forcing air out of openings on its abdomen called spiracles.

• ​​The hissing sound helps to ward off predators and is also used for social interactions.

• ​Males hiss to establish territory and attract females, increasing their chances of successful reproduction.

Little Drummer Wasp

• ​The female wasp drums on wheat kernels with her antennae to find a weevil larva.

• ​​A kernel with a larva inside sounds different, allowing her to precisely locate a host.

• ​This increases the probability that her larva will have a food source and survive.

Multiple Choice

What is the primary purpose of the behaviors of the Hissing Cockroach and the Little Drummer Wasp?

• To increase their chances of survival and reproduction.

• To communicate with other insect species.

• To help them build their homes and nests.

• To find sources of water in their environment.

Multiple Choice

How does the purpose of the cockroach's hissing differ from the wasp's drumming?

• The cockroach hisses to find food, while the wasp drums to attract mates.

• The cockroach hisses to defend itself, while the wasp drums to find food for its young.

• The cockroach hisses to build a nest, while the wasp drums to scare predators.

• The cockroach hisses to locate water, while the wasp drums to establish territory.

Multiple Choice

If a Little Drummer Wasp's antennae were damaged, what would be the most likely result?

• It would be unable to force air from its spiracles.

• It would be unable to defend itself from predators.

• It would struggle to find a suitable location to lay its egg.

• It would have to find a new territory to attract a mate.

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Reproduction & Symbiosis

Aphid Reproduction

• ​Aphids reproduce asexually by giving birth to live young without a mate.

• ​​This rapid process allows their populations to grow at an extremely fast rate.

• ​Asexual reproduction increases their overall reproductive success, ensuring the continuation of their species.

Ant & Aphid Symbiosis

• ​Ants protect aphids from natural predators like ladybugs, increasing the aphids' survival rate.

• ​​In return, ants consume a sugary waste product from aphids called honeydew.

• ​This relationship increases the survival probability for both species, supporting their ability to reproduce.

Multiple Choice

According to the information provided, what is the primary advantage of asexual reproduction for aphids?

• It allows their populations to grow at an extremely fast rate.

• It requires them to find a mate before reproducing.

• It decreases their overall reproductive success.

• It provides them with protection from predators.

Multiple Choice

How does the symbiotic relationship between ants and aphids benefit both species?

• The ants gain food by consuming honeydew, and the aphids gain protection from predators.

• The aphids consume honeydew from the ants, and the ants gain a clean living space.

• The ants and aphids compete with each other for the same food and resources.

• The aphids protect the ants from ladybugs, and the ants help the aphids find mates.

Multiple Choice

If the ant population in an ecosystem were to disappear, what is the most likely consequence for the aphid population?

• The aphid population would likely decrease because their protection from predators is gone.

• The aphid population would grow faster because they no longer need to produce honeydew for ants.

• The aphids would need to switch from asexual to sexual reproduction to survive.

• The aphids would be forced to compete with ladybugs for the same food source.

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Chemical Communication: Pheromones

Foraging Ants

• Pheromones are chemical messages that animals of the same species use to communicate with one another.

• When a foraging ant discovers a food source, it leaves a trail of these pheromones behind.

• Other ants from the colony can then easily follow this invisible chemical trail to the food.

Moth Mating

• A female moth releases a powerful pheromone into the air to signal she is ready to mate.

• A male moth can detect this chemical scent from kilometers away using its feathery antennae.

• By following the airborne trail, the male moth can locate the female for successful reproduction.

Multiple Choice

What is the primary function of pheromones?

• To communicate with other members of the same species

• To locate and identify new sources of food

• To defend themselves against predators

• To build shelters and protect their young

Multiple Choice

How does the use of pheromones by foraging ants differ from their use by mating moths?

• One pheromone is a trail on the ground, while the other is a scent in the air.

• Ants use pheromones for finding food, while moths use them for navigation.

• Only one of the animals uses pheromones to attract a mate.

• Ants can follow pheromone trails, but moths cannot.

Multiple Choice

A male moth's feathery antennae are essential for detecting a female's pheromones from far away. What would be the most likely outcome if a male moth's antennae were damaged?

• It would not be able to find the female moth.

• It would not be able to release its own pheromones.

• It would get lost on its way to the food source.

• It would not be able to fly properly.

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How Animals Help Plants Reproduce

• Many plants rely on animals to transfer pollen, which helps them reproduce.

• Plants attract pollinators with brightly colored petals, sweet nectar, or strong smells.

• An insect's search for food causes pollen to be transferred between flowers.

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Multiple Choice

What is the main way animals help many plants reproduce?

• By transferring pollen between flowers

• By eating the plant's leaves

• By building nests in their branches

• By scaring away other animals

Multiple Choice

What is the function of brightly colored petals and sweet nectar on a flower?

• To attract animals that will transfer pollen

• To provide food for the plant itself

• To protect the plant from the sun

• To make the plant grow taller

Multiple Choice

A plant species with brightly colored flowers relies on insects to reproduce. What would be the most likely consequence if the population of these insects suddenly disappeared?

• The plant species would have difficulty reproducing.

• The plant's flowers would become less colorful.

• The plant would start producing its own food differently.

• The plant would grow taller to find more sunlight.

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Common Misconceptions

Misconception	Correction
Animal behavior guarantees successful reproduction.	Behaviors only increase the probability of success, not guarantee it.
All insects make sounds with their mouths.	Most insects make sounds by rubbing body parts together.
All insects are pests.	Many insects are beneficial, such as bees that pollinate plants.
Every insect is a solitary creature.	Many insects, such as ants, are social and live together.

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Summary

• Insects have many adaptations and behaviors to help them survive and reproduce.

• Specialized behaviors like hissing or drumming increase their chances of survival and mating.

• Insect behaviors, like pollination, are essential for the reproduction of many plants.

• Insects use chemical signals and live in complex social colonies.

Poll

On a scale of 1-4, how confident are you about the concepts covered in today's review?

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