(A) that is unlike any other known insect in its spending
1) POSSESSIVE + V_ING + DIRECT OBJECT is the structure that is used here: "
its spending its entire life cycle".
And this structure is wrong on gmat.
2) there is a noticeable difference between two structures used in A and C:
1) Midge is unlike any other insects in its life cycle.
2) Midge is unlike any other insects in its living in the snow.
3) Midge, unlike any other insects, spends its entire life cycle in the snow and ice.
4) Midge is unlike any other insects in that it spends its entire life cycle in the snow and ice.
the first two mean that Midge and other insects do the same thing, but in a different way. For example, Midge and other insects live in the snow, But HOW they live in the snow is different.
the last two mean that Midge spends its entire life cycle in the snow and ice, while other insects don't at all.
the latter conveys the intended meaning.
Here is the better explanation from
RonPurewal:
https://www.manhattanprep.com/gmat/foru ... tml#p86665(B) that is unlike any insect known as it spends
1) here "because" and "as" have the same meaning: if you replace "as" with "because", it becomes more clear that we have not the intended meaning ,if not illogical meaning: a Japanese zoologist has found a species of midge....
because it spends its entire life in the snow. The midge spends its entire life in the snow and ice, SO a zoologist found it. Not intended meaning
2) this choice says midge is unlike any known insect, but does not clearly describe HOW it is different from others
3) this choice omits the word "other" between "any" and "insect", so can two problems:
1) this choice excludes midge from a category of "KNOWN INSECTS"
OR
2) this choice seems to compare midge with a group of known insects that includes the midge itself
(C) that, unlike any other known insect, spends
1) this answer choice clearly gives the intended meaning: the midge, unlike any other known insects, spends its entire life in the snow and ice of glacier. In other words, the midge spends its entire life in the snow and ice of glacier, while other known insects do not.
(D) unlike any insect known as it spends
1) the same problems as in B
(E) unlike any other insect that is known, spending
1) "comma + V_ing" usually modifies the nearest action and its agent, so "comma + spending" no longer modifies "the midge". Instead, it seems to modify "any other insect" and "is known", but I cannot get any logical interpretation from this.
2) this choice says midge is unlike any known insect, but does not clearly describe HOW it is different from others