Host plant preference in the protected myrmecophilous Transylvanian Blue (Pseudophilotes bavius hungarica) butterfly (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) and its relationship with potential ant partners
  • Metaadatok
Tartalom: http://real.mtak.hu/39710/
Archívum: MTA Könyvtár
Gyűjtemény: Status = Published

Type = Article

Cím:
Host plant preference in the protected myrmecophilous Transylvanian Blue (Pseudophilotes bavius hungarica) butterfly (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) and its relationship with potential ant partners
Létrehozó:
Német, Enikő
Czekes, Zsolt
Markó, Bálint
Rákosy, László
Kiadó:
Springer
Dátum:
2016-09-19
Téma:
QH540 Ecology / ökológia
QL Zoology / állattan
QL750-QL782.5 Animal behavior / etológia, állat-viselkedéstan
Tartalmi leírás:
When selecting specifc host plants, caterpillars of many lycaenid butterflies, such as the protected Pseudophilotes bavius hungarica, are known to engage in various interactions with ants, which help them survive. Although P. bavius is a protected species, data about its host plant selection is very scarce, and little information is available on its myrmecophilous relationships. Our aim was to identify the host plant characteristics that determine the occurrence of the caterpillar and to clarify the specifcity of its myrmecophily. We conducted a series of feld surveys regarding host plant characteristics. Laboratory experiments were carried out to investigate the nature of interactions between the caterpillar and its potential ant partners. Control experiments involving non-visiting ants were also
performed. On the basis of our fndings, the physical characteristics of host plants do not seem to influence host plant choice, but the absence of aphids and the presence of different ant species proved important. According to the results of behavioural assays, neutral reactions to the caterpillars were recorded in the case of ant species that regularly visited the host plant (Lasius paralienus, Camponotus aethiops), in contrast to Tapinoma subboreale, which was not observed at all on the host plants and which behaved aggressively towards the larvae. Therefore, the caterpillar is expected to show a certain ant host selectivity. The study constitutes an essential contribution to our knowledge of the natural history of a protected butterfly species, which can be used as a basis for more appropriate management strategies, while also shedding light on aspects of myrmecophilous relationships in Lycaenidae in general.
Nyelv:
angol
Típus:
Article
PeerReviewed
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Formátum:
text
Azonosító:
Német, Enikő and Czekes, Zsolt and Markó, Bálint and Rákosy, László (2016) Host plant preference in the protected myrmecophilous Transylvanian Blue (Pseudophilotes bavius hungarica) butterfly (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) and its relationship with potential ant partners. Journal of Insect Conservation. pp. 1-8. ISSN 1572-9753
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