- 著者
-
Konrad FIEDLER
Ulrich MASCHWITZ
- 出版者
- THE LEPIDOPTEROLOGICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN
- 雑誌
- 蝶と蛾 (ISSN:00240974)
- 巻号頁・発行日
- vol.40, no.4, pp.241-251, 1989-12-20 (Released:2017-08-10)
Adults of the South-East Asian lycaenid butterfly Allotinus unicolor search for trophobiotic homopterans associated with a particular ant species, Ano-plolepis longipes. The butterflies settle down for feeding in such associations after a characteristic pre-alighting ("examination flight") and appeasement ("proboscis palpation") behaviour. Preimaginal instars of A. unicolor were always related with the same ant species as well. A. unicolor uses a wide range of homopterans for oviposition. The orientation mechanisms for specific ant recognition (probably visual and olfactory), the selective value of specific ant-associations for Miletinae butter-flies, the consequences of such strategies for the larval food range, and the evolution of adult myrmecophily within the genus Allotinus are discussed.