Question

Insects belonging to hemotrophous group are

• A. Syrphidae
• B. Formicidae
• C. Cerambycidae
• D. Noctuidae

Hint:

Associate "hemotrophous feeding" with "Dracula ants" belonging to the family Formicidae, where adults feed on larval hemolymph.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Nutritional physiology in social insects involves complex feeding behaviors, including larval-adult food exchanges.
The term "hemotrophous" (or haemotrophous) refers to organisms that feed on hemolymph or blood. In entomology, it specifically describes certain group-living insects where adults feed on the hemolymph of their own larvae.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
In the family Formicidae (ants), several primitive groups exhibit a highly specialized nutritional behavior known as larval hemolymph feeding.
An outstanding example is found in the "dracula ants" (subfamily Amblyoponinae, such as Adetomyrma and Mystrium).
In these ant colonies, the adult workers and queens are physically incapable of digesting solid food due to their narrow petiole and specialized mouthparts.
Instead, they feed solid prey to their large, mature larvae.
The larvae digest the prey and assimilate the nutrients into their hemolymph.
The adult ants then chew or pierce small, non-lethal holes in the soft skin of their own larvae to feed directly on the nutrient-rich hemolymph.
This unique form of cooperative feeding is a classic example of hemotrophous nutrition within the social insect family Formicidae.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Therefore, insects belonging to the hemotrophous group are Formicidae.