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Difficulty: MediumLogical Inferences

Many orchid species rely on visual and olfactory mimicry to attract specific insect pollinators. The orchid *Ophrys speculum* mimics the female wasp *Campsomeris ciliata* to attract male wasps. Although this mimicry is highly effective, researchers noted that in regions where female wasps are exceptionally abundant, the pollination rate of *Ophrys speculum* drops significantly, even though the male wasp population remains constant. Because male wasps prioritize actual females when available, the presence of real females reduces the appeal of the decoy orchids. Therefore, in areas with high densities of female *Campsomeris ciliata*, the orchids are likely to experience ______

Which choice most logically completes the text?

  1. A
    an evolutionary pressure to develop visual mimicry of other, more common insect species in the region
  2. B
    a decrease in their overall population size that is proportional to the number of male wasps in the ecosystem
  3. a decline in pollination success because male wasps are more frequently lured by real mates than by the orchidsAnswer
  4. D
    increased pollination rates if the orchids can produce a stronger scent than other flowering plant species in the same habitat

Answer

a decline in pollination success because male wasps are more frequently lured by real mates than by the orchids
The passage states that when female wasps are abundant, the pollination rate of the orchids drops significantly because male wasps prefer mating with real females over the mimic orchids. Thus, it can be logically concluded that in areas with high female wasp density, the orchids will see decreased pollination rates as male wasps choose actual mates over the mimicry.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary mechanism of pollination for the orchid described in the passage.
The orchid mimics female wasps to attract male wasps for pollination purposes.
Establishing the baseline behavior helps trace the effect of changes in the environment.
2
Analyze how the abundance of female wasps affects the male wasps' choice.
Male wasps prefer real females over the mimic orchids, so an abundance of real females makes the orchids less appealing.
This defines the competitive relationship between the real females and the decoy orchids.
3
Determine the logical consequence of this behavior on the orchids' pollination rates in high-density areas.
The orchids will experience lower pollination success because the constant population of male wasps is busy mating with real females.
This directly completes the final inference of the text.

Key Concept

Logical Inferences
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Logical Inferences

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