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Question

Difficulty: MediumExplicit Details

Wallace's giant bee (*Megachile pluto*), the largest known bee species in the world, relies on a highly specialized nesting strategy to survive in the forests of Indonesia. Unlike most solitary bees that dig tunnels in soil or wood, *Megachile pluto* females construct their nests inside active arboreal mounds built by termites of the genus *Microcerotermes*. The female bees use their exceptionally large mandibles to harvest sticky tree resin and wood fibers, which they mix to plaster the nest chambers. This resin barrier serves a vital purpose: it prevents the aggressive termites from invading the bee's nests, while the surrounding termite mound provides a stable microclimate and physical protection from predators.

Based on the text, what is true of the nests constructed by female *Megachile pluto* bees?

  1. A
    They are excavated in the forest floor and lined with wood fibers.
  2. They are located within active mounds created by a particular genus of termites.Answer
  3. C
    They are built cooperatively by multiple female bees to defend against predators.
  4. D
    They are abandoned by the bees if the host termites migrate to a new mound.

Answer

The nests are located within active mounds created by a particular genus of termites.
The text explicitly states that the female bees construct their nests inside active arboreal mounds built by termites of the genus Microcerotermes. This directly supports the correct answer, which states that the nests are located within active mounds created by a specific genus of termites.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the passage to locate details regarding the nests built by female Wallace's giant bees.
The passage explicitly states that these bees 'construct their nests inside active arboreal mounds built by termites of the genus *Microcerotermes*.'
Identifying the direct textual reference is necessary to answer an explicit details question.
2
Evaluate the choices against this explicit detail to find a direct match that does not rely on speculation or misreading.
The choice stating that the nests are located within active mounds built by a particular genus of termites directly mirrors the text.
Standard SAT Explicit Details questions require a choice that is directly supported by the passage without extra inferences.

Key Concept

Identifying details explicitly stated in the text
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Explicit Details

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