My week at Copenhagen University only serves to strengthen my fascination for the Formicines. The course on ant ecology i was attending opened my eyes to the ecology of Denmark's ant fauna, with one subfamily in particular capturing my imagination. The Mirmicenes are small and inconspicuous to the naked eye, hidden away in clumps of grass and subterranean citadels of soil. But under a microscope, their heavy armour and formidable dorsal spines mark them out as a foe not to be messed with. Colonies regularly wage war with their neighbours, even claiming slaves to take home and rear their brood. It takes a being honed by the hand of evolution to match and surpass these ants defences.
Enter the delicate blue butterfly of the Maculinea genus. These lay their eggs on the flowers of a plant species found in an area near to the otherwise discrete ant nests. These eggs then hatch and the butterfly larvae are released onto the ground. Rather than fend for themselves like other caterpillars, these individuals have evolved to mask themselves with a hydrocarbon coat which mimics that of a developing Mirmica ant queen. Within minutes, the butterfly larvae are taken back to the nest by foraging ants, who then fatten up the parasite until it undergoes metamorphosis, escapes and returns to the sky as a fledged butterfly.
Nature is as nature does, and even under the watchful eye of the blinded ants, the parasite is parasitised itself by a parasitic wasp! The wasp has a different approach to the nest, sniffing out the caterpillar and entering guns blazing. Otherwise outgunned by the thousands of Myrmica soldier jaws, the wasp employs chemical warfare. The wasp secretes a chemical which initially attracts the defending ants, seemingly jeopardising it's life. But then, once the initial ant arrives and grabs it's invader, it is contaminated by a secondary secretion, even more infuriating to its colony mates. Like a Charlie Chaplin-esque bar brawl, the ants attack and contaminate each other further, whilst the wasp slips away. The docile fattening caterpillar is thus left defenceless as the wasp swoops in and injects its own developing larvae, who will internally suck it dry as it attempts to pupate.
Such a complex community is only just being understood, the timing of which is important given the Endangered status of the butterflies. When people question my interest in ants, and what benefits I can draw from their studies, not only can I point to these fascinating examples, but also the crucial role of an increase in knowledge to prevent the extinctions of otherwise unknown species.
Enter the delicate blue butterfly of the Maculinea genus. These lay their eggs on the flowers of a plant species found in an area near to the otherwise discrete ant nests. These eggs then hatch and the butterfly larvae are released onto the ground. Rather than fend for themselves like other caterpillars, these individuals have evolved to mask themselves with a hydrocarbon coat which mimics that of a developing Mirmica ant queen. Within minutes, the butterfly larvae are taken back to the nest by foraging ants, who then fatten up the parasite until it undergoes metamorphosis, escapes and returns to the sky as a fledged butterfly.
Nature is as nature does, and even under the watchful eye of the blinded ants, the parasite is parasitised itself by a parasitic wasp! The wasp has a different approach to the nest, sniffing out the caterpillar and entering guns blazing. Otherwise outgunned by the thousands of Myrmica soldier jaws, the wasp employs chemical warfare. The wasp secretes a chemical which initially attracts the defending ants, seemingly jeopardising it's life. But then, once the initial ant arrives and grabs it's invader, it is contaminated by a secondary secretion, even more infuriating to its colony mates. Like a Charlie Chaplin-esque bar brawl, the ants attack and contaminate each other further, whilst the wasp slips away. The docile fattening caterpillar is thus left defenceless as the wasp swoops in and injects its own developing larvae, who will internally suck it dry as it attempts to pupate.
Such a complex community is only just being understood, the timing of which is important given the Endangered status of the butterflies. When people question my interest in ants, and what benefits I can draw from their studies, not only can I point to these fascinating examples, but also the crucial role of an increase in knowledge to prevent the extinctions of otherwise unknown species.
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