Ants and caterpillars

It’s such wonderful warm weather in the UK at the moment, I thought it was time to celebrate with another butterfly post! In canopies of H. a. ponceanus host plants, 243 ants …

The study of these symbiotic associations was pioneered by Phil DeVries in Central America, and Naomi Pierce in Australia. The Ant Danger Index ranked the predatory abilities of C. ashmeadi, C. planatus, C. floridanus, and P. gracilis against caterpillars that utilized A. elemifera and Z. fagara as host plants; since all four ant species represented 87% of the total sampled ants collected in canopies of A. elemifera and Z. fagara, only these ants were compared. Ants are normally predators of butterfly larvae (caterpillars), however lycaenids have evolved a range of mechanisms to overcome predation. These mechanisms either deter the ants, or attract them by the secretion of compounds that are so attractive to ants that they will protect the larvae instead. Amazingly, the ants they associate with do not eat the caterpillars. These butterflies are also called gossamer-winged butterflies because of their delicate, often iridescent wings. Caterpillars and pupae are constantly attended by ants, and they may live inside ant nests, often among the brood of ants. From friendly pollinators, like leafcutter bees , to the despised Japanese beetle, we plant enthusiasts are forever trying to maintain a natural balance between the good, the bad, and the ugly. Controlling Japanese Beetles, Aphids, Ants, and Caterpillars The garden is a true Wild West of critters. PDF | On Oct 1, 1992, Philip J. DeVries published Singing Caterpillars, Ants and Symbiosis | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ResearchGate A total of 1418 ants comprising 25 ant species was captured and identified. Caterpillars Use Ants as Butterfly Babysitters. “While caterpillar-ant interactions have been explored as fine examples of multi-partner interactions, i.e. Ant-caterpillar interactions were also documented by placing caterpillars on plants and observing physical interactions between caterpillars and ants. Singing caterpillars is a term coined by Philip James DeVries, referring to the fact that the larvae of ant-associated butterfly species of the families Riodinidae and Lycaenidae produce substrate borne sounds that attract ants. However, caterpillars of butterflies that belong to the family Lycaenidae, have an unlikely relationship with ants—they rely on ants for protection from predators.

In some of these species, caterpillars do not feed on plants at all.