Grade 9 Ecology Practice Exam

Targeting only the pest while sparing others is the idea behind selective pesticides. These are designed to affect particular pest species or groups, often by exploiting specific biological traits or behaviors of those pests. Because of this targeted approach, they tend to cause less harm to beneficial insects, humans, and other non-target organisms, keeping more of the ecosystem intact. A classic example is a toxin or mechanism that only works on certain insects because they have the particular receptors or gut conditions the pesticide relies on. Non-selective or broad-spectrum pesticides, by contrast, are meant to kill a wide range of organisms, including many non-pest species, which can disrupt beneficial insects and overall biodiversity. Biopesticides can be selective too, since they come from natural sources and can be designed to target particular pests, but the phrase “designed to target specific pests” most directly describes selective pesticides.