Texas FFA Entomology CDE Practice Exam 2025 - Free Entomology Career Development Practice Questions and Study Guide

The feeding type attributed to a milkweed bug is classified as piercing-sucking. This method of feeding is characteristic of insects that have specialized mouthparts adapted for puncturing plant tissues and extracting fluids. Milkweed bugs possess a beak that they use to penetrate the surface of milkweed plants, allowing them to feed on the plant's sap and other fluids. This feeding strategy is essential for their survival, as it provides the necessary nutrients for growth and reproduction.

In contrast, the chewing feeding type is more typical of insects that consume solid plant material or other food sources, such as leaves and stems, using mandibles to grind and break down their food. Frugivorous refers to insects that primarily feed on fruit, while siphoning denotes a feeding type associated with butterflies and moths that use a long proboscis to drink nectar from flowers. Each of these feeding types highlights the diverse adaptations insects have developed to exploit various food resources in their environments.