Ecosystems

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Question 13
Easy

During an ecological survey of a freshwater stream, a student uses kick-sampling to collect macroinvertebrates. They find the following organism:

An aquatic macroinvertebrate larva with three pairs of legs, lateral filaments on its segmented abdomen, and a single long tail.

They use this dichotomous key to identify the specimen:

13 pairs of legs on the thorax………………………………………go to 3More or fewer than 3 pairs of legs………………………………go to 22No legs visible, body segmented………………………………crane fly larvaMore than 3 pairs of legs………………………………………water-flea3Abdomen has lateral filaments along the sides………………………go to 4Abdomen has smooth sides (no lateral filaments)……………………go to 54Abdomen ends in a single, long, pointed tail……………………alderfly larvaAbdomen ends in two distinct, hairy tails………………………whirligig beetle larva5Abdomen ends in three flat, leaf-like gills………………………damselfly nymphAbdomen ends in short, pointed valves (no long tails/gills)…………dragonfly nymph \begin{aligned} 1 \quad &\text{3 pairs of legs on the thorax} \dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots \text{go to 3} \\ &\text{More or fewer than 3 pairs of legs} \dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots \text{go to 2} \\ \\ 2 \quad &\text{No legs visible, body segmented} \dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots \text{crane fly larva} \\ &\text{More than 3 pairs of legs} \dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots \text{water-flea} \\ \\ 3 \quad &\text{Abdomen has lateral filaments along the sides} \dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots \text{go to 4} \\ &\text{Abdomen has smooth sides (no lateral filaments)} \dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots \text{go to 5} \\ \\ 4 \quad &\text{Abdomen ends in a single, long, pointed tail} \dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots \text{alderfly larva} \\ &\text{Abdomen ends in two distinct, hairy tails} \dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots \text{whirligig beetle larva} \\ \\ 5 \quad &\text{Abdomen ends in three flat, leaf-like gills} \dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots\dots \text{damselfly nymph} \\ &\text{Abdomen ends in short, pointed valves (no long tails/gills)} \dots\dots\dots\dots \text{dragonfly nymph} \end{aligned} 12345​3 pairs of legs on the thorax………………………………………go to 3More or fewer than 3 pairs of legs………………………………go to 2No legs visible, body segmented………………………………crane fly larvaMore than 3 pairs of legs………………………………………water-fleaAbdomen has lateral filaments along the sides………………………go to 4Abdomen has smooth sides (no lateral filaments)……………………go to 5Abdomen ends in a single, long, pointed tail……………………alderfly larvaAbdomen ends in two distinct, hairy tails………………………whirligig beetle larvaAbdomen ends in three flat, leaf-like gills………………………damselfly nymphAbdomen ends in short, pointed valves (no long tails/gills)…………dragonfly nymph​

What is the identity of the organism?

Whirligig beetle larva

Dragonfly nymph

Alderfly larva

Damselfly nymph

Ecosystems Questions

  1. GCSE
  2. /Biology
  3. /Ecosystems