Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1098/rspb.2012.2336
Title (Primary) Mimetic host shifts in an endangered social parasite of ants
Author Thomas, J.A.; Elmes, G.W.; Sielezniew, M.; Stankiewicz-Fiedurek, A.; Simcox, D.J.; Settele, J.; Schönrogge, K.
Source Titel Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences
Year 2013
Department BZF
Volume 280
Issue 1751
Page From art. 20122336
Language englisch
Keywords chemical mimicry; host specificity; butterfly; conservation; Maculinea; Phengaris
UFZ wide themes RU1;
Abstract An emerging problem in conservation is whether listed morpho-species with broad distributions, yet specialized lifestyles, consist of more than one cryptic species or functionally distinct forms that have different ecological requirements. We describe extreme regional divergence within an iconic endangered butterfly, whose socially parasitic young stages use non-visual, non-tactile cues to infiltrate and supplant the brood in ant societies. Although indistinguishable morphologically or when using current mitochondrial and nuclear sequence-, or microsatellite data, Maculinea rebeli from Spain and southeast Poland exploit different Myrmica ant species and experience 100 per cent mortality with each other's hosts. This reflects major differences in the hydrocarbons synthesized from each region by the larvae, which so closely mimic the recognition profiles of their respective hosts that nurse ants afford each parasite a social status above that of their own kin larvae. The two host ants occupy separate niches within grassland; thus, conservation management must differ in each region. Similar cryptic differentiation may be common, yet equally hard to detect, among the approximately 10 000 unstudied morpho-species of social parasite that are estimated to exist, many of which are Red Data Book listed.

Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=13127
Thomas, J.A., Elmes, G.W., Sielezniew, M., Stankiewicz-Fiedurek, A., Simcox, D.J., Settele, J., Schönrogge, K. (2013):
Mimetic host shifts in an endangered social parasite of ants
Proc. R. Soc. B-Biol. Sci. 280 (1751), art. 20122336 10.1098/rspb.2012.2336