Question

1. fill in the blanks with the best matches for the pair of animals shown (one match per blank).

mealworms and earthworms __ __
mealworms and crickets __ __
a. both burrowing animals
b. both in the same phylum
c. both have a hard outer surface
d. both have a long narrow worm - shaped body
e. both have legs
f. neither has big eyes
notice that some similarities are due to shared evolutionary history (animals in the same phylum) and some similarities are related to having a similar lifestyle (burrowing animals).

Explanation:

• Mealworms (larvae of Tenebrio molitor, Arthropoda) and earthworms (Annelida):
• Earthworms burrow in soil. Mealworms also can be found in environments where they might be considered as having a similar burrowing - like behavior in their substrate (e.g., in stored grains).
• They are in different phyla (Annelida for earthworms and Arthropoda for mealworms). Mealworms have a hard exoskeleton (a type of hard outer surface), while earthworms have a more moist, soft outer covering. Earthworms have a long narrow worm - shaped body, but mealworms are also somewhat worm - shaped. Neither has big eyes.
• Mealworms (Arthropoda) and crickets (Arthropoda):
• They are both in the phylum Arthropoda. Mealworms (as larvae) do not have well - developed legs like adult crickets, but they have small prolegs. Both have a hard exoskeleton (a hard outer surface). They do not have a long narrow worm - shaped body (crickets are more compact in their adult form). Neither has big eyes.

Answer:

mealworms and earthworms: a, d, f
mealworms and crickets: b, c, f