Whiteflies are common pest insects found on cotton, tomato, poinsettia, and many other plants. Nymphs are translucent and mostly sessile, feeding on their host plant's phloem (sap) from the undersides of leaves. They undergo incomplete metamorphosis into winged adults. Because whitefly nymphs cannot escape predation by moving, you hypothesize that their translucent bodies make them hard to spot by predators. How could you directly test this hypothesis?
A) Compare rates of predation on whitefly nymphs on plant leaves of different colors (for example, red versus green poinsettia leaves).
B) Compare rates of predation on whitefly nymphs coated with a nontoxic dye versus undyed whitefly nymphs.
C) Compare rates of predation on whitefly nymphs versus whitefly adults.
D) Compare rates of predation on whitefly nymphs by predators that are translucent versus predators that are not translucent.

Respuesta :

The correct option is (B) Compare rates of predation on whitefly nymphs coated with a nontoxic dye versus undyed whitefly nymphs.

How does Aphids grow?

  • Whiteflies, tiny white insects with four wings, are closely related to aphids, scales, and mealybugs.
  • Adults can be observed fluttering about when startled. On the undersides of leaves, small, spindle-shaped eggs are placed vertically.
  • Eggs can be placed singly or in a crescent shape. Nymphs in the first stage are "crawlers," moving just a short distance before settling.
  • The whitefly goes through three immobile nymphal stages after losing its legs and antennae; this stage is known as the scale stage. Oval, flattened, and translucent scales are present.
  • The immobile phase ends with the pupal stage. The pupae of the two common whitefly pests may most reliably be used to distinguish them.

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