CORE COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATE STUDY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ENTOMOLOGY NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY

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1 CORE COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATE STUDY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ENTOMOLOGY NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY All graduate students majoring in Entomology are required to complete ENT 502 Insect Systematics and ENT 503 Insect Morphology and Physiology as part of the requirements for M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. However, if the incoming student is able to pass a proficiency examination for either or both of the courses, then the requirement for either or both of the courses will be fulfilled and the course need not be taken. The preparation and administration of the proficiency examination is the responsibility of the instructors. At the present time, this is Dr. Deans for ENT 502 and Dr. Roe for ENT 503. The proficiency examination will be given at least once a year, the ENT 502 exam shortly before the beginning of the fall semester and the ENT 503 exam shortly before the beginning of the spring semester. Other exam times can be arrange with the instructors if sufficient justification exists, but student should take the exam at their earliest opportunity after arrival on campus. A student will be allowed to take each proficiency exam only one time. Students joining the department who believe they have the background course to pass one or both of the proficiency exams should come to campus prepared to take the exams before the semester begins (ENT 502 is given in the fall and ENT 503 in the spring). A few sample questions from each exam are given for your information.

2 Insect Systematics (ENT 502) Name: You have two hours to complete this 200 point ENT 502 proficiency exam. Correctly scoring 140 or more points will allow you to opt out of taking this core class. Good luck. Part I Multiple Choice. Circle the one option that best answers the question. [2 pts each] 1. In 2005 you described a bug species named Lygus homeri from western NC. I collected some specimens of that same species in eastern TN and described them separately as Lygus barneyi in Which statement is true about these taxa: A - they are homonyms, and each will have to be renamed B - they are synonyms, and Lygus homeri has priority C - Lygus homeri is not a valid name D - there are now no more undescribed species E - they are synonyms and will each be described under new names chosen by the first author 2. Linnaeus is best known for: A - creating the hierarchical classification system we currently use B - describing Lygus homeri C - inventing cladistics D - establishing the ICZN as the standard set of rules for taxonomy E - A and D 3. Which statement correctly describes the relationships exhibited in this tree: A - taxon A is actually a mammal B - taxa C and B are more closely related than taxa A and B C - taxa A and D alone form a monophyletic group D - taxa A and B are sister taxa E - taxa A and B are plesiomorphic 4. A haltere can best be described as: A - the reduced hind wing of a dipteran B - the reduced fore wing of a strepsipteran C - the heavily sclerotized fore wing of a coleopteran D - the word you use when you want to get your dog to stop walking E - the partially sclerotized fore wing of a hemipteran 5. Which of these taxonomic names represents a tribe: A - Ichneumonidae B - Ichneumonoidea C - Ichneumonini D - Ichneumon appendigaster Linnaeus, 1758 E - Ichneumon 1

3 6. Which list of ranks is in order from highest to lowest: A - order, phylum, genus, class, kingdom B - order, family, class, species, genus C - family, genus, species, class, phylum D - the widely accepted Phylocode only uses only three ranks, in this order: wizard, general, thetan E - phylum, class, suborder, superfamily, tribe 7. Carabidae includes numerous species that: A - suck blood from babies B - use halteres to stabilize their flight pattern C - live underground and feed on roots and other plant material D - Carabidae actually has only one very rare species: Carabus americanus E - are predators that release odors when you pick them up 8. When you read this statement in an article from 2001 that deals with a common pest of corn -...the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), which is known to... You know right away that: A - this insect consumes all the soil around the roots B - Boddie is a subspecies that feeds on corn C - a taxonomist named Boddie described the species zea but in a different genus D - Helicoverpa zea was described in 2001 E - a taxonomist named Boddie described the species zea in the genus Helicoverpa 9. True or False? The first winged insect appeared in the fossil record during the Devonian, nearly 50 million years before the first collembolan, which appeared in the Cretaceous. A - 100% false B - 100% true C - true, except it was the Miocene, not the Devonian D - cannot be answered because of the lack of insects in the fossil record E - ummm True or False? Zoraptera is one of the most diverse orders of insects, with over 300 families and possibly close to a million undescribed species. A - 100% false B - 100% true C - true, but only if you are considering the fossil record. There is only one described extant species D - I don t know, but zorapterans kill thousands of people a year E - true, except there are closer to 3000 familes in Zoraptera 2

4 11. Which best describes the general evolutionary trend in Hymenoptera: A - parasitoids gall makers leaf feeding sociality B - parasitoids leaf feeding gall makers sociality C - parasitoids predation leaf feeding wood boring D - leaf feeding wood boring parasitoids gall feeding or predation E - sociality wood boring parasitoids pollinivory 12. Given the following tree, what can be said about the two feeding strategies: predation and phytophagy? A - predation is apomorphic B - predation is plesiomorphic C - predation is ancient D - phytophagy is an example of homoplasy E - taxa C and D converged on phytophagy 13. Which series correctly orders the splitting events from earliest to latest: A - Collembola, Diplura, Protura, Archaeognatha, Thysanura B - Protura, Diplura, Collembola, Archaeognatha, Thysanura C - Poduridae, Diptera, Calliphoridae, Archaeognatha, Thysanoptera D - Protura, Ephemeroptera, Orthoptera, Archaeognatha, Strepsiptera E - all hexapod lineages split at the same time (= hard polytomy) 14. The situation that describes our understanding of Strepsiptera s placement within Hexapoda: A - most DNA-based studies reveal that Strepsiptera is sister to Diptera, though this may be due to long branch attraction B - Strepsiptera falls within Diptera and is currently considered to be a suborder of flies C - all DNA-based studies unequivocally demonstrate that Strepsiptera is sister to Coleoptera D - Strepsiptera is actually a chelicerate order...but a gosh dang weird one E - both Strepsiptera and Diptera fall within Coleoptera since they all have halteres 15. A great way to catch leaf litter and soil-dwelling arthropods is: A - there actually aren t any arthropods in leaf litter B - soaking leaf litter in ethanol C - sweep net filled with leaf litter D - Malaise trap filled with leaf litter E - Berlese funnel filled with leaf-litter 3

5 16. What s the fastest way to clean up that body in your trunk? A - place it in a concrete room filled with Noctuidae B - stick it on a glacier and let the Grylloblattodea consume it C - use a combination of Calliphoridae, Silphidae, and Dermestidae D - use a combination of Ceratopogonidae, Nepticulidae, and Pyrgotidae E - cover with ethanol and release Drosophilidae 17. What combination of traits leads some taxa to become pestiferous? A - specialization on fungal spores leads some beetles to be pests on commercially grown lichens B - as the dominant consumers of seeds Tephritidae species are common pests in homes C - Boreidae consume ice in their natural habitats on mountain tops; they can usually be found inside peoples freezers D - some generalist Noctuidae have complex relationships with the plants they consume, including the ability to detoxify a broad array of secondary compounds; they are often found on many plants that humans grow E - Chrysopidae coevolved with Solanaceae and feed on a broad array of crops, including potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers without being affected by their secondary compounds 18. The best way to preserve Collembola is: A - retain them in 80% ethanol B - affix them to points using an insoluble adhesive, like epoxy C - affix them to points using an alcohol and/or water-soluble glue D - pin them through the right hemelytron E - permanently slide-mount them using glycerin as the medium 19. Which description best fits adult Gerridae: A - aquatic plant feeders; adults have a divided eye that can view above and below the water B - blood feeding Lepidoptera C - semiaquatic predators/scavengers; at least one species can be found on the ocean D - they don t exist...except in the imaginations of frightened children E - they are radically different from immature Gerridae; each stage fills a different niche 20. True or False? The latest molecular evidence reveals that termites are derived, eusocial cockroaches. A - 100% true B - 100% false C - partially true; they are eusocial but are actually more closely related to Psocodea D - there are no termites, and there never have been any E - partially true; they are eusocial, but we have no molecular evidence for their phylogeny 4

6 21. Which of the following types of mouthparts would you not expect to find in the Holometabola: A - piercing/sucking B - mandibulate C - dicondylous mandibles D - lapping/sponging E - entognathous 22. Which statement regarding insects and their auditory specialization(s) is true: A - Noctuidae evolved tympana on their thoraces to listen for bat sonar B - Tettigoniidae listen to courtship songs using tympana on their fore legs C - A and B D - Coenagrionidae use their wings to listen for prey E - A, B, and D Part II Matching Taxa. Fill in the letter of the taxon that best matches the statement. Use only one letter per statement; not all taxa will be used. [2 pts each] A. Belostomatidae B. Braconidae C. Chrysomelidae D. Cimicidae E. Corydalidae F. Culicidae G. Embiidina H. Opiliones I. Saturniidae J. Sminthuridae K. Sphingidae L. Tenthredinidae 1. Often found in leaf litter, eating fungal spores; uses a collophore for water regulation 2. Aquatic as adults 3. Aquatic as immatures; non-feeding as adults 4. Blood feeders, known for vectoring serious diseases of humans 5. Blood feeders known for traumatic insemination 6. Not a hexapod 7. Most species consume leaves throughout their life cycle (as larvae and as adults) using mandibulate mouthparts; very diverse group 8. Most species fly at night and consume nectar through a long proboscis; was featured in the movie Silence of the Lambs 9. Most of these species are parasitoids 10. Live in silken tunnels, made using glands in their swollen fore tibiae 5

7 Part III Matching Morphology. Only 9 of the 15 body parts listed below are visible in the diagrams. Find and label those body parts. [2 pts each] A. cercus B. compound eye C. coxa D. femur E. fore wing F. elytron G. labial palp H. mandible I. ocellus J. pedicel K. scopa L. scutellum M. scutum N. skull O. tergite 6

8 Part IV Short Answer. Answer only 10 of the following questions. One or two sentences should suffice. [3 pts each] 1. How is parasitoid different from parasite? 2. What does a tarsal formula of mean? 3. How is a segment different from a subsegment? 4. What is a synapomorphy? 5. What is monophyly? You can sketch this one out. 6. How does a thrip feed [2 pts]? And what is wrong with the way I just phrased that [1 pt]? 7. What are the most diverse orders (the big four ) in terms of species numbers? 8. How is nomenclature different from classification? 9. Name six arthropod taxa that you might find feeding on your dog. 10. What is a lectotype? When is it designated? 11. Name two insect orders that exhibit haplodiploidy [2 pts]? What condition has haplodiploidy been linked to [1 pt]? 7

9 12. What is Willi Hennig best known for? Part V Essay. Articulate an answer to the following questions in two or three paragraphs, each consisting of complete sentences, bulleted lists (if appropriate) and appropriate grammar. You can also use sketches if needed. 1. What is tagmosis? What developmental mechanisms are thought to control tagmosis? What are the tagmata exhibited by hexapods? How has tagmosis affected the evolution of Arthropoda? [10 pts] 8

10 Answer only two of the following three questions (your choice): [15 pts each] 2. Describe at least four major adaptations, which some would call key innovations, exhibited by hexapods and how they each affected the evolution of Hexapoda. Map these (roughly) onto a phylogenetic tree representing the major lineages of Hexapoda. 9

11 3. You are contracted to survey the diversity of Coleoptera and Diptera on a piece of land near Raleigh with four major habitats: mixed hardwood forest, grassland, a fast moving stream, and a small pond. Describe the collecting methods you would use for these taxa in these habitats. Name 12 families (six in each order) you would expect to find and where/how they would be collected. 10

12 4. Describe the evolution of wings (include at least two hypotheses; which structures are involved, what does the fossil record say, what do developmental studies suggest?) and flight (what behaviors might have been involved and what advantages did they confer; include at least one hyposthesis). 11

13 Part VI Sight Identification. For each specimen provide the following [3 pts per specimen]: order family adult feeding habits (1-2 words) Please comment on what makes an ideal label for a specimen the size, the information, the placement on a pin, etc. Do you see a good and a bad example here? [6 pts] 12