Which option describes the relationship between pesticide resistance and reproduction?

• A. Pesticide resistance results when pests are exposed to UV light.
• B. Resistance Arises When All Pests Die.
• C. Resistant Pests Are More Likely to Reproduce After Exposure.
• D. Pesticide Resistance Means Pests Do Not Reproduce.

Answer: (C)

Pesticide resistance evolves when natural variation in a pest population means some individuals can survive pesticide exposure. Those survivors—because they carry resistance traits—are more likely to reproduce after exposure, passing the resistance genes to their offspring. Over time, the resistant traits become more common in the population, making control tougher. That’s why the idea that resistant pests are more likely to reproduce after exposure best captures the relationship between resistance and reproduction.

The other ideas don’t fit: resistance isn’t caused by UV light exposure, it’s a genetic trait that becomes common through survival and reproduction under pesticide pressure. Resistance doesn’t arise simply because all pests die—there would be no survivors to propagate resistance. And resistance doesn’t mean pests stop reproducing; in fact, reproduction after exposure is how resistance spreads.