Question map
The organisms "Cicada, Froghopper and Pond skater" are :
Explanation
Cicada, Froghopper, and Pond Skater are all insects, not birds, fish, or reptiles.[1] These three organisms belong to the class Insecta within the phylum Arthropoda. Cicadas are well-known for their loud calls and belong to the order Hemiptera. Froghoppers, also called spittlebugs, are jumping insects that produce foam-like masses on plants. Pond skaters (or water striders) are aquatic insects that can literally walk on water due to surface tension. All three possess characteristic insect features including six legs, three body segments (head, thorax, abdomen), and typically two pairs of wings in adults. This makes option C (Insects) the correct answer, while options A (Birds), B (Fish), and D (Reptiles) are incorrect as these organisms do not belong to any of those animal classes.
SourcesPROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest previewThis is a 'General Awareness' check disguised as Taxonomy. It rewards observational curiosity (nature documentaries, school science projects) over rote book learning. If you knew even one (e.g., Cicada = loud buzzing insect), the entire question was solved.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Explicitly states all three organisms are insects.
- Directly rules out birds, fish, and reptiles in the same sentence.
- Confirms 'insects' as a recognized major arthropod class.
- Supports selecting 'insect' as the correct class among the given options.
Defines arthropods and explicitly states that arthropods include insects, giving a higher-level taxonomic group that contains insects.
A student could compare cicada/froghopper/pond skater to arthropod/insect traits (exoskeleton, jointed limbs, six legs for insects) in a field guide or picture to see if they fit 'insect'.
Discusses insects as pollinators moving between ponds and nearby areas, showing that insects commonly occupy pond/near-pond habitats.
A student could use habitat notes (e.g., pond-associated insects) and species common names like 'pond skater' to infer these organisms are likely insects associated with water surfaces.
Describes aquatic insects and their role in pond ecosystems, listing insects among typical pond inhabitants.
Using this pattern, a student could place organisms with insect-like ecology (e.g., small terrestrial or surface-dwelling arthropods) into the 'insect' category pending morphological confirmation.
Lists various pond-dwelling animals including dragonflies, mosquitos and snails—showing that small flying or water-surface organisms are treated as insects in these texts.
A student could check whether cicada/froghopper/pond skater share behaviours (flying, skimming, life stages like nymphs) with the listed insects to support classifying them as insects.
Provides an activity to classify organisms by feeding and to research specific organisms, implying use of simple traits and references to determine an organism's broad class.
A student could follow this method: look up basic traits (legs, wings, respiration) for cicada/froghopper/pond skater to decide among bird/fish/insect/reptile.
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