Publication Details |
| Category | Text Publication |
| Reference Category | Journals |
| DOI | 10.1007/s00040-012-0265-3 |
| Document | Shareable Link |
| Title (Primary) | Choice behaviour of Myrmica rubra workers between ant larvae and larvae of their Phengaris (Maculinea) nausithous nest parasites |
| Author | Solazzo, G.; Moritz, R.F.A.; Settele, J. |
| Source Titel | Insectes Sociaux |
| Year | 2013 |
| Department | BZF |
| Volume | 60 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Page From | 57 |
| Page To | 64 |
| Language | englisch |
| Keywords | Host–parasite co-evolution ; Brood recognition; Adoption behaviour; Local adaptation |
| UFZ wide themes | RU1; |
| Abstract | Larvae of Phengaris (Maculinea) butterflies are adopted by Myrmica workers and are obligate myrmecophiles. Brood recognition by Myrmica rubra workers was tested for concolonial larvae (M. rubra) versus allocolonial larvae (M. rubra and P. nausithous) to assay the mimetic efficiency of P. nausithous. In addition, we tested M. rubra ant colonies from different populations with and without the presence of Phengaris, to test for potential local adaptation in adoption behaviour. We show that M. rubra can distinguish between nest-mate and foreign larvae as well as between P. nausithous and their own larvae. Workers from the allopatric population inspected and rejected more P. nausithous larvae than workers from the sympatric population. This might reflect a local host adaptation in which the social parasite more efficiently mimes its sympatric host ants than allopatric ones. |
| Persistent UFZ Identifier | https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=13129 |
| Solazzo, G., Moritz, R.F.A., Settele, J. (2013): Choice behaviour of Myrmica rubra workers between ant larvae and larvae of their Phengaris (Maculinea) nausithous nest parasites Insect. Soc. 60 (1), 57 - 64 10.1007/s00040-012-0265-3 |
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