California’s Butterflies

Ant Associations

Ant associations in North America are exclusively found in the family Lycaenidae.  These associations are considered to be symbiotic and mutualistic, but certainly favor the butterfly larvae.   In these species the larvae are associated with ants.  Most of these larvae produce semiochemicals that mimic ant pheromones.  The larvae that produce these semiochemicals pirate the ant behaviors associated with these pheromones.  As an example, larvae produce semiochemicals that mimic the brood and alarm pheromones.  The brood pheromone gets the ants to tend the butterfly larvae as if they were their own young.  The alarm pheromone gets the ant or ants to respond to potential predators or parasites.

 

Although there are members of the Riodinidae in South American that have ant association, none of our North American species have ant associations.

 

 

 

 

At Right: Arrowhead Blue (Glaucopsyche piasus) larva being tended by Formica francoeuri.  The two insect species are obligate, meaning that they depend upon one another for survival.