In pine sawflies, the width and length of the ovipositor (structure used to lay
ID: 279714 • Letter: I
Question
In pine sawflies, the width and length of the ovipositor (structure used to lay eggs) is correlated with width and depth of pine needles. Populations of pine sawflies that lay their eggs on white pine trees have long, thin ovipositors while those that lay their eggs on red pine trees have short, wide ovipositors. What do you think would happen to a population of white pine sawflies if they were moved to a red pine tree?
Natural selection will favor those sawflies that that had slightly shorter and wider ovipositors, ultimately increasing the number individuals with these traits in subsequent generationsExplanation / Answer
The correct answer is D
The reson is: The depth of the cone of the redpines is less than that of the white pine so, whitepine flies have a longer and thinner oviposters than the redfly counterpart.
Now when the whitepine flies are moved to a redpine tree the cones now they face have shalow needles. Although here the preffered survival trait would have been the short and stout oviposters, the long and thin ones will also survie and in future a mixed populstion would be seen.