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 ________.
A) penetrate the epidermal layer to lay eggs on nonhost plants
B) detect and detoxify chemical defenses produced by nonhost plants
C) digest the leaves of nonhost plants
D) break down the chemical defenses produced by nonhost plants in response to predation by the beetles

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The question states that Ophraella beetles feed and lay eggs on only certain members of the sunflower family because they are unable to detect and detoxify chemical defenses produced by nonhost plants. Therefore, option B is the correct answer. Option A is incorrect because the question does not mention anything about the beetles' ability to penetrate the epidermal layer of plants. Option C is incorrect because the question suggests that the beetles are able to digest the leaves of the sunflower plants they feed on. Option D is incorrect because the question states that nonhost plants produce chemical defenses in response to predation by the beetles, but it does not imply that the beetles are unable to break down these defenses.

Futuyma and Colleagues (1995)used the Herbivorous Leaf Beetles of the Genus