Suppose that pesticide X drastically slows the reproductive rate of cyclamen mites and has no other direct effect on ...

shunhe on August 21, 2020

Hi @maonuo,

Thanks for the question! So this question is a mouthful, but once you understand what it’s saying, it’s not too bad. We’re taking this pesticide X that slows down the reproduction rate of cyclamen mites but doesn’t otherwise affect cyclamen mites or Typhlodromus. Now we need to find the situation most likely to occur if it’s used instead of parathion in the experiments.

Well remember, we already know that when we have plots with Typhlodoromus and cyclamen mites, the cyclamen mites (the latter) are effectively controlled. So now let’s say that everything else stays the same, except they also reproduce slower. Well, now they’re even more controlled! So in the untreated plots, they’re controlled; in the treated plots, they’re controlled. And that’s all that (A) says, which makes it the correct answer choice.

Hope this helps! Feel free to ask any other questions that you might have.