Abstract
The immature stages ofAricoris propitia(Stichel) are described and illustrated for the first time, using both light and scanning electron microscopy. Females oviposit in at least seven host-plant families, always in the presence of fire ants (Solenopsis saevissima(Smith) complex), without being attacked by them. Larvae are tended by ants during all larval and pupal stages. From the fourth instar on, larvae feed at night and rest during the day inside underground shelters constructed by ants on the host plant roots, and where pupation occurs. Several observed features, including ant-mediated oviposition, persistent ant attendance throughout all instars, and high spatiotemporal fidelity indicate thatA. propitiais a myrmecophile obligately associated with fire ants. We proposeA. propitiaas an extraordinary model for studies on ant-butterfly evolutionary history in the Neotropics.
Highlights
Symbiotic associations between butterfly larvae and ants have attracted the attention of early naturalists, both in Europe and North America, since the second half of the 18th century
All observed host-plants of A. propitia provided some source of liquid food that could be potentially used by ants, such as honeydew-producing hemipterans and/or extrafloral nectaries
The egg of Aricoris propitia resembles those described for other Nymphidiini genera in the Lemoniadina group, with a semispherical shape, exochorion with hexagonal cells in lateral view, aeropyles in the rib intersections, and micropylar area centered on 50 μm (b)
Summary
Symbiotic associations between butterfly larvae and ants have attracted the attention of early naturalists, both in Europe and North America, since the second half of the 18th century (see references in [1]) These interactions are historically poorly studied in the Neotropical region despite their richness and abundance [2, 3]. In addition to being the first detailed description of a myrmecophilous larva from the Riodinidae family, the aforementioned study presents the first evidence of a butterfly larva living inside ant nests in the Neotropics This behavior has been reported for a small number of Lycaenidae clades, such as the charismatic large blue Maculinea Van Eecke (Phengaris Doherty spp.), which parasitizes ant societies in Eurasia (see [5,6,7]). Unlike large blue butterflies, which today are model organisms in mutualism and parasitism studies, little progress has been achieved on the biology of Aricoris since the initial work by Bruch [4] (but see [8,9,10,11,12])
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