Chemical Disguise As Particular Caste Of Host Ants In The Ant Inquiline Parasite Niphanda Fusca (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

Main Category: Biology / Biochemistry
Article Date: 08 Oct 2008 - 8:00 PDT

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Caterpillars of Japanese lycaenid butterfly Niphanda fusca are social parasites of ant Camponotus japonicus.

The caterpillars are adopted by the ant colonies and deceive the worker ants to feed them directly, just like an avian cuckoos.

By combining a behavioural experiments and a chemical analysis, we show that parasitic caterpillars mimic the odor of adult male ants in the host colony and manipulate host worker ants to tend them.

Such mimicry of high-ranking caste has not previously been described and will explains why the parasitic caterpillars are fed by workers in preference to their own brood.

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Proceedings B is the Royal Society's flagship biological research journal, dedicated to the rapid publication and broad dissemination of high-quality research papers, reviews and comment and reply papers. The scope of journal is diverse and is especially strong in organismal biology.

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences