Conservation of co‐evolved interactions: understanding theMaculinea–Myrmicacomplex

Abstract

AbstractThe six papers in this Special Issue ofInsect Conservation and Diversityare presented as agedenkschrifthonouring ground‐breaking contributions made by the late Graham Elmes towards understanding the biology ofMyrmicaants and their social parasites.A common theme is that each research paper contributes new knowledge applicable to the future survival ofMaculinea(=Phengaris) species of butterflies, which have become flagships for insect conservation across Europe. AllMaculineaspecies are highly specialised, with larvae that feed briefly on a specific foodplant before living underground for 11–23 months as social parasites ofMyrmicacolonies.This introductory overview provides a brief history of the research that has led to the current collection, with emphasis on Graham Elmes' life and work. It is followed by three research papers that illustrate the diversity, socio‐biology and ecology ofMyrmicaants. A fourth describes an extreme adaptation that increases the efficiency with which some populations ofMaculinealarvae exploit the resources withinMyrmicanests. A fifth, more theoretical, paper models the constraints that typically lead to host specificity among social parasites and explores why host switches are rare and quick.