title: Various chemical strategies to deceive ants in three Arhopala species (lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) exploiting Macaranga myrmecophytes.
abstract: Macaranga myrmecophytes (ant-plants) are generally well protected from herbivore attacks by their symbiotic ants (plant-ants). However, larvae of Arhopala (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) species survive and develop on specific Macaranga ant-plant species without being attacked by the plant-ants of their host species. We hypothesized that Arhopala larvae chemically mimic or camouflage themselves with the ants on their host plant so that the larvae are accepted by the plant-ant species of their host. Chemical analyses of cuticular hydrocarbons showed that chemical congruency varied among Arhopala species; A. dajagaka matched well the host plant-ants, A. amphimuta did not match, and unexpectedly, A. zylda lacked hydrocarbons. Behaviorally, the larvae and dummies coated with cuticular chemicals of A. dajagaka were well attended by the plant-ants, especially by those of the host. A. amphimuta was often attacked by all plant-ants except for the host plant-ants toward the larvae, and those of A. zylda were ignored by all plant-ants. Our results suggested that conspicuous variations exist in the chemical strategies used by the myrmecophilous butterflies that allow them to avoid ant attack and be accepted by the plant-ant colonies.
authors: Department of Arts and Sciences, Osaka Kyoiku University, Kashiwara, Osaka, Japan.
authors: Yoko
authors: Y
authors: Inui
authors: Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
authors: Usun
authors: U
authors: Shimizu-Kaya
authors: Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
authors: Tadahiro
authors: T
authors: Okubo
authors: Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Otsu, Shiga, Japan.
authors: Eri
authors: E
authors: Yamsaki
authors: Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
authors: Takao
authors: T
authors: Itioka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000187:drug effects*; D008192:Deception; D004435:Eating; D019665:Euphorbiaceae; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D007814:Larva / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D007915:Lepidoptera / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D006838:Hydrocarbons