ACE Animal Behavior & Psychology 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which type of learning occurs when an insect reduces its response to a repeated, non-harmful stimulus?
- Habituation (Correct answer)
- Sensitization
- Classical conditioning
- Operant conditioning
Correct answer: Habituation
Habituation is the waning of a response to a repeated stimulus that has no meaningful consequence.
Question 2: In honeybees, the 'round dance' communicates that a food source is located within approximately how far from the hive?
- 50 meters
- 100 meters (Correct answer)
- 500 meters
- 1 kilometer
Correct answer: 100 meters
The round dance indicates food sources within about 100 meters, while the waggle dance is used for more distant sources.
Question 3: What term describes the phenomenon where insects aggregate in response to a chemical signal released by conspecifics?
- Kairomone response
- Aggregation pheromone attraction (Correct answer)
- Allomone deterrence
- Synomone mediation
Correct answer: Aggregation pheromone attraction
Aggregation pheromones attract conspecifics, causing them to cluster together at a resource or shelter.
Question 4: Which behavior describes an insect's directional movement away from a harmful stimulus such as a repellent?
- Positive taxis
- Kinesis
- Negative taxis (Correct answer)
- Idiothetic orientation
Correct answer: Negative taxis
Negative taxis is directed movement away from a stimulus, such as moving away from a repellent chemical.
Question 5: The term 'agonistic behavior' in insects refers to:
- Cooperative foraging strategies
- Any behavior related to conflict, including threat, attack, and submission (Correct answer)
- Chemical signaling for mate attraction
- Mutualistic relationships with host plants
Correct answer: Any behavior related to conflict, including threat, attack, and submission
Agonistic behavior encompasses all behaviors associated with conflict interactions, including aggressive, defensive, and submissive acts.
Question 6: A cockroach that becomes active only after dark is exhibiting which type of behavioral pattern?
- Crepuscular activity
- Diurnal rhythm
- Nocturnal circadian activity (Correct answer)
- Ultradian rhythm
Correct answer: Nocturnal circadian activity
Cockroaches are nocturnal insects whose activity is governed by a circadian rhythm synchronized to the dark phase.
Question 7: In pest management, understanding insect host-finding behavior primarily helps in:
- Designing chemical formulations for soil treatment
- Selecting repellents and trap crops that disrupt or intercept host location (Correct answer)
- Improving insecticide resistance management
- Reducing pesticide runoff into waterways
Correct answer: Selecting repellents and trap crops that disrupt or intercept host location
Knowledge of host-finding mechanisms allows practitioners to deploy repellents, semiochemicals, or trap crops to intercept or redirect pest insects.
ACE Animal Behavior & Psychology 2
Which type of learning occurs when an insect reduces its response to a repeated, non-harmful stimulus?