{"title":"Diversity of butterfly–ant symbioses in the neotropical genus Ectatomma (Formicidae: Ectatomminae)","authors":"J.-P. Lachaud, L. A. Kaminski, G. Pérez-Lachaud","doi":"10.1007/s00040-024-00996-x","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>Despite the extraordinary diversity of organisms associated with ants, few species or genera have been inventoried for the myrmecophilous communities they host. Here, we review the known information on Lepidoptera associated with the ant genus <i>Ectatomma</i>, based on: (a) extensive colony sampling and observations on six focal species (<i>E. tuberculatum</i>, <i>E. brunneum</i>, and four cryptic species of the <i>E. ruidum</i> species complex) over a period of 43 years in Mexico, French Guiana, and Colombia, (b) a follow-up of the available literature, and (c) an analysis of <i>Ectatomma</i> images from various photographic databases available online and direct observations in Brazil and Suriname. No lepidopteran species were found inside the nests, but a wide variety of facultative mutualisms were observed outside on plants bearing extrafloral nectaries and/or honeydew-producing hemipterans; however, around 15% involved a form of commensalism, with no direct physical butterfly–ant interaction. Various new associations, previously unnoticed, are reported, and we illustrate a new symbiotic association between <i>Rekoa palegon</i> and <i>E. ruidum</i> sp. 2 in Mexico. At least 29 lepidopteran species from 19 genera, belonging to four tribes in three subfamilies and three families, participate in 41 associations involving only 5 of the 18 known <i>Ectatomma</i> species, all 5 characterized by visiting liquid food sources on foliage. Specialized interactions with <i>Ectatomma</i> ants were only found in three Riodinidae species, while in Lycaenidae interactions were all facultative. A greater sampling effort is needed, including nocturnal sampling and studies on little-studied species of this genus, to obtain a comprehensive picture of the extent of <i>Ectatomma–</i>Lepidoptera interactions.</p>","PeriodicalId":13573,"journal":{"name":"Insectes Sociaux","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Insectes Sociaux","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-024-00996-x","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ENTOMOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Despite the extraordinary diversity of organisms associated with ants, few species or genera have been inventoried for the myrmecophilous communities they host. Here, we review the known information on Lepidoptera associated with the ant genus Ectatomma, based on: (a) extensive colony sampling and observations on six focal species (E. tuberculatum, E. brunneum, and four cryptic species of the E. ruidum species complex) over a period of 43 years in Mexico, French Guiana, and Colombia, (b) a follow-up of the available literature, and (c) an analysis of Ectatomma images from various photographic databases available online and direct observations in Brazil and Suriname. No lepidopteran species were found inside the nests, but a wide variety of facultative mutualisms were observed outside on plants bearing extrafloral nectaries and/or honeydew-producing hemipterans; however, around 15% involved a form of commensalism, with no direct physical butterfly–ant interaction. Various new associations, previously unnoticed, are reported, and we illustrate a new symbiotic association between Rekoa palegon and E. ruidum sp. 2 in Mexico. At least 29 lepidopteran species from 19 genera, belonging to four tribes in three subfamilies and three families, participate in 41 associations involving only 5 of the 18 known Ectatomma species, all 5 characterized by visiting liquid food sources on foliage. Specialized interactions with Ectatomma ants were only found in three Riodinidae species, while in Lycaenidae interactions were all facultative. A greater sampling effort is needed, including nocturnal sampling and studies on little-studied species of this genus, to obtain a comprehensive picture of the extent of Ectatomma–Lepidoptera interactions.
期刊介绍:
Insectes Sociaux (IS) is the journal of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects (IUSSI). It covers the various aspects of the biology and evolution of social insects and other presocial arthropods; these include ecology, ethology, morphology, population genetics, reproduction, communication, sociobiology, caste differentiation and social parasitism. The journal publishes original research papers and reviews, as well as short communications. An international editorial board of eminent specialists attests to the high quality of Insectes Sociaux, a forum for all scientists and readers interested in the study of social insects.