Question

Futuyma and colleagues (1995) used the herbivorous leaf beetles of the genus Ophraella to study constraints in genetic diversity. Ophraella beetles feed and lay eggs on only certain members of the sunflower family because the beetles are unable to ________.

1) penetrate the epidermal layer to lay eggs on nonhost plants

2) detect and detoxify chemical defenses produced by nonhost plants

3) digest the leaves of nonhost plants

4) break down the chemical defenses produced by nonhost plants in response to predation by the beetles

Answer 1

Option 2). Ophraella leaf beetles are limited to feeding on certain plants within the sunflower family due to their inability to detect and detoxify the plants' chemical defenses, affecting their genetic diversity.

Step-by-step explanation:

Futuyma et al. (1995) investigated genetic diversity constraints using Ophraella, a genus of herbivorous leaf beetles. Because these beetles are unable to recognize and detoxify chemical defenses produced by nonhost plants, they are limited to feeding on and laying their eggs on specific members of the sunflower family. Herbivorous insects have evolved defense mechanisms to withstand the chemicals produced by plants to repel them. Ophraella beetles' genetic diversity and population dynamics are impacted because they have a limited range of host plants to choose from because they lack the mechanisms to withstand certain plant chemicals.