Biology · Environmental Studies

Biology of Insects and Pollination

830 Questions

Insect biology and pollination focus on ecological relationships, crop science, and practical applications like apiculture. These topics regularly appear in general science sections of competitive exams. Review core concepts to build accuracy for test day.

Apiculture and honeyTypes of pollinationInsect binomial nomenclatureCrop damaging pestsFriend of farmers organism

Biology of Insects and Pollination Questions

Multiple choice biology pollination and fertilization agents of pollination environmental conservation and biodiversity pollination, fertilization and development of endosperm and embryo

In Salvia, pollination occurs through the agency of

  1. Insects

  2. Bats

  3. Ants

  4. Snails
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

In Salvia, pollination occurs through the agency of insects. When insects are the pollinating agents, then pollination is known as entomophily. These are the most common biotic agents of pollination. Bees are the most common insect which acts as pollinating agents. Other insect pollinators are butterflies, flies, beetles, wasps, ants, moths. Majority of insect-pollinated flowers are large-sized. Small-sized flowers are clustered into an inflorescence. Flowers are colourful and fragrant. Nectaries are present. The pollen grain is sticky.

Salvia genus belongs to family Labiatae. In these plants, the gametopetalous corolla is two-lipped. The lower lip provides the platform for the visiting insect and the upper lip just protects the floral organs. In these plants, cross-pollination occurs only when the pollen-dusted bee visits older flowers with mature gynoecium.

Multiple choice biology pollination and fertilization agents of pollination environmental conservation and biodiversity pollination, fertilization and development of endosperm and embryo

Pollination with the help of snails is called.

  1. Myrmecophily

  2. Malacophily

  3. Lepidopterophily

  4. Entomophily
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Pollination is processed by the agent which transfers pollen from the pollen sac or anther to the stigma or ovule in the flower. Pollination done by snails is called malacophily. Such type of flowers is called as malacophilous. These flowers achieve pollination only by the help of snails and slugs.

Thus, the correct answer is malacophily.

Correct option is B.

Multiple choice biology pollination and fertilization agents of pollination environmental conservation and biodiversity pollination, fertilization and development of endosperm and embryo

Fragrant flowers with well developed nectaries are an adaptation for

  1. Zoophily

  2. Anemophily

  3. Entomophily

  4. Hydrophily
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Fragrant flowers with well-developed nectaries are an adaptation for entomophily. In entomophily, insects are the pollinating agents. These are the most common biotic agents of pollination. Bees are the most common insect which acts as pollinating agents. Other insect pollinators are butterflies, flies, beetles, wasps, ants, moths. Majority of insect-pollinated flowers are large-sized. These flowers are colorful and possess fragrance to attract the insects. Nectar is given as a reward to insects. Thus, option C is correct.

Multiple choice biology pollination and fertilization agents of pollination environmental conservation and biodiversity pollination, fertilization and development of endosperm and embryo

Pollination in Lotus is carried out by

  1. Wind

  2. Water

  3. Insects

  4. All the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation
Lotus has bisexual flowers but anthers and stigma mature at different times so self pollination doesn't occur. Thus, Lotus is cross-pollinated by beetles. Beetles are attracted to the Lotus flower by the odour of the nectar. Beetle enter the flower at night and stays there for the whole night. The flower opens in the morning and beetle visits another flower at night. Thus, as the beetle visits different flowers, pollen from one flower are transferred to the stigma of different flowers because pollen get attached to the body of the beetles. Hence, this type of cross-pollination occurs in Lotus by means of insects i.e. beetles. So, the correct answer is C.
Multiple choice biology pollination and fertilization agents of pollination environmental conservation and biodiversity pollination, fertilization and development of endosperm and embryo

Entomophilous flowers are related to

  1. Honey bees

  2. Wind

  3. Water

  4. Hairy Mammals
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
Entomophilous flowers are the flowers that are pollinated by insects. From all the options given in the question, honey bees are the insects. So, entomophilous flowers are related to honey bees as honey bees pollinate them.
So, the correct answer is A.
Multiple choice biology pollination and fertilization agents of pollination environmental conservation and biodiversity pollination, fertilization and development of endosperm and embryo

Butterflies pollinate

  1. Bluish flowers

  2. Violet flowers

  3. Reddish flowers

  4. Purple flowers
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
Butterflies are attracted to the flowers that are scented, showy and bright in color. Butterflies can see the colors in ultra violet range and their most preferred color of flowers for pollination is blue. Hence, butterflies pollinate bluish flowers.
So, the correct answer is A.
Multiple choice biology pollination and fertilization agents of pollination environmental conservation and biodiversity pollination, fertilization and development of endosperm and embryo

Insects visit flowers to help in pollination.

  1. True

  2. False
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Pollination is the transfer of pollen from a male part of a plant (anthers) to a female part of a plant (stigma), enabling later fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by the wind. Pollination is a very important part of the life cycle of plants. Entomophily or insect pollination is a form of pollination whereby pollen of plants, is distributed by insects. A major role of the insect is that of pollinator, meaning they transfer pollen from plant to plant (or sometimes within the same plant), which results in the development of a seed.

So the given statement is true.

Multiple choice biology pollination and fertilization agents of pollination environmental conservation and biodiversity pollination, fertilization and development of endosperm and embryo

Which one is applicable to insect pollinated flowers?

  1. Flowers are very small produced in large quantities

  2. Flowers are not prominent and without nectar

  3. Flowers are conspicuous and scented having nectar

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

When the flowers are pollinated by insects, it is called entomophily. Such flowers has evolved mechanisms to make themselves more appealing or conspicuous to insects by having bright colors or scented flowers, nectar or appealing shapes and patterns.
Thus, the correct answer is option (C), 'Flowers are conspicuous and scented having nectar'.

Multiple choice biology pollination and fertilization agents of pollination environmental conservation and biodiversity pollination, fertilization and development of endosperm and embryo

The insect Blastophaga grossorum is associated with the pollination of

  1. Mango

  2. Ficus

  3. Paddy

  4. Nelumbium
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation
There is a tight mutual dependence between the Ficus species and an insect called Blastophaga grossorum that pollinates it. It is known as Coevolution. This relationship has developed and is persistent for millions of years now.
So, the correct answer is, 'Ficus'.
Multiple choice

Which of the following insects never sleeps?

  1. Bees

  2. Ants

  3. Flies

  4. Grasshoppers
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

While ants do have periods of inactivity, they do not sleep in the way mammals do. They take many short naps throughout the day.

Multiple choice

What adaptation do flowers have to attract bees to their pollen?

  1. tiny pollen grains

  2. small petals

  3. seeds that contain food

  4. a liquid nectar
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Nectar is a sugary liquid produced by flowers specifically to reward pollinators like bees. As the bee collects the nectar, it inadvertently picks up or deposits pollen.