Question

Bean beetles (Callosobruchus maculatus) are agricultural pest insects of Africa and Asia. Females lay their eggs on the surface of beans (Family Fabaceae). Eggs are deposited singly and several days after deposition, a beetle larva (maggot) burrows into the bean. At 30°C, pupation and emergence of an adult beetle occurs 21–30 days after an egg was deposited. Adults are mature 24–36 hours after emergence and they do not need to feed. Adults may live for 1–2 weeks, during which time mating and oviposition (laying of eggs) occurs. Since larvae cannot move from the bean on which an egg was deposited, the oviposition choice of a female determines the future food resources available to their offspring. As a result, it is the most critical choice a female makes for her offspring, because it will influence their growth, survival, and future reproduction. Although females can be induced to lay eggs on a wide range of bean species, very few bean species result in normal development and the successful emergence of adults.

1. What is the test organism/experimental unit/subject in this experiment?

2. What is/are the dependant variable(s) in this experiment?

3. For a chi-square analysis how many degrees of freedom are present in this study?

Answer 1