Use the figure to answer the following question.

Treehoppers (a type of insect)produce honeydew, which ants use for food. Treehoppers have a major predator, the jumping spider. Researchers hypothesized that the ants would protect the treehoppers from the spiders. During a one-year study, researchers found no difference in treehopper populations in any of their control and experimental groups. What could they measure during the second year to gain information about why this might have occurred?
A) Measure the number of ant females.
B) Measure the relative sizes of the treehoppers.
C) Measure the relative abundance of jumping spiders.
D) Measure the relative sizes of different ant species.

Question

Use the figure to answer the following question.

Treehoppers (a type of insect)produce honeydew, which ants use for food. Treehoppers have a major predator, the jumping spider. Researchers hypothesized that the ants would protect the treehoppers from the spiders. During a one-year study, researchers found no difference in treehopper populations in any of their control and experimental groups. What could they measure during the second year to gain information about why this might have occurred?
A) Measure the number of ant females. 
B) Measure the relative sizes of the treehoppers. 
C) Measure the relative abundance of jumping spiders. 
D) Measure the relative sizes of different ant species.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Measuring the relative abundance of jumping spiders would provide information about whether or not there were enough predators to affect the treehopper populations. If spider populations were low, then the lack of a protective effect from the ants would not be surprising.

Use the Figure to Answer the Following Question