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Moon7296 Posted 12 years ago
Vocabulary

interpretation (offspring = egg?)

Wasps also use numbers in an interesting way. Some species provide their offspring with five caterpillars per egg, others ten, and still others twenty-four.

Q) What does "per egg" mean?

As far as I know considering the context, "offspring" are not in in an egg form anymore. Parents of some species go out and catch "caterpilliars" to feed their already hatched offspring. Then what does "per egg" mean? Does it just refer to "offspring" even though they are already hatched?

Q2) Can offspring be used either as singular or plural interchangablely?
  

Top answer

moon7296 Q) What does "per egg" mean? For each wasp egg. The mothers are providing food now for their future offspring.

— Mister Micawber

  • moon7296 Q) What does "per egg" mean?
  • For each wasp egg.
  • The mothers are providing food now for their future offspring.
  • The caterpillars will be food for the baby wasps when the eggs hatch.
  • moon7296 Q2) Can offspring be used either as singular or plural interchangablely?
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4 Answers
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moon7296Q) What does "per egg" mean?
For each wasp egg. The mothers are providing food now for their future offspring. The caterpillars will be food for the baby wasps when the eggs hatch.
moon7296Q2) Can offspring be used either as singular or plural interchangablely?
It must be; there is no plural with an '-s'.
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It must be; there is no plural with an '-s'.
You mean there is no plural noun without an '-s'? Or do you mean there's no plural form for the noun "offspring"? I.e., offspring is a plural itself?
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"Offspring" uses the same form for singular and plural like "fish."
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park sang joon"Offspring" uses the same form for singular and plural like "fish."
Right.
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