Female fire beetles, Melanophilia sp., must seek out freshly-burned trees to lay their eggs in so the larvae can feed on the burned wood. What specialized neural structures might you expect these beetles to have to facilitate this behavior?

Question

A.  Extra large axons for rapid axonal transduction
B.  Special, enlarged synapses for rapid synaptic transmission
C.  Giant brain structures for processing auditory information
D.  Special sensory structures that can detect signs of fire or burned wood


Clarify question:
What is the key concept addressed by the question?

What type of thinking is required?


Gather Content:
What do you already know about sensory systems involved with behavior? What other information is related to the question? 


Choose Answer:
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?


Reflection on Process:
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?


Answer 1

D.  Special sensory structures that can detect signs of fire or burned wood


Clarify question:
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
The sensory structures that would help the beetle find the most advantageous spot to lay its eggs. 

What type of thinking is required?
This is an apply question. You need to look at the 4 choices, break them down into their constituents, and see which one would be the most useful for seeking out freshly burned wood.


Gather Content:
What do you already know about sensory systems involved with behavior? What other information is related to the question? 
This question comes from the section of the textbook that deals with the structure of neural circuits and how they are linked to animal behavior. The choices deal with the speed of signals, the processing of signals, and the sensory systems.


Choose Answer:
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?
Sensory structures are what will allow the beetle to detect burned wood. The beetle must be able to detect the burned wood before laying eggs on it.


Reflection on Process:
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
Were you able to select the correct answer choice? You had to look over all the choices and pick out all of the ones that are involved in the detection of burned wood.