Honeypot ants (genus Myrmecocystus) can store liquid food inside their expandable abdomens. Consider other ants you are familiar with, and list how a honeypot ant exemplifies three key features of life: adaptation, unity, and diversity

Explanation:

When the environment becomes too hostile to aid the search for food (that is, dry season), the honeypot ant which can be referred to as repletes shows adaptation to its environment with the intelligent ability to store liquid food inside its abdomen.  Their expandable abdomen serve as “living larders” for their entire colony because they are storage vessels.

It exemplifies unity because during a dry season, nutrients become more scarce. Very few flowers blossoms, and fewer insects will approach the colony which means less access to food. Honeypot ants turn to their living larders, which would have swollen to the size of grapes.

When the colony is in need of nutrient-rich liquids, a worker ant will stroke a replete’s antennae. This signals the replete to regurgitate the liquid. A worker can eat the liquid itself, or carry it to another member of the colony.

It exemplifies diversity because it is different from other ants in its ability to store liquid food in its expandable abdomen. Many insects store sweet liquid for later use. For example, honeybees usually stores liquid in their combs. Honeypot ants, are the only insects to store the liquid in their own bodies.