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Proc Biol Sci

Title:		Chemical disguise as particular caste of host ants in the ant inquiline parasite Niphanda fusca (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)
Author(s):		Hojo MK; Wada-Katsumata A; Akino T; Yamaguchi S; Ozaki M; Yamaoka R;
Address:		"Division of Applied Biology, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan. m.k.hojo@gmail.com"
Journal Title:		Proc Biol Sci
Year:		2009
Volume:		276
Issue:		1656
Page Number:		551 - 558
DOI:		10.1098/rspb.2008.1064
ISSN/ISBN:		0962-8452 (Print) 1471-2954 (Electronic) 0962-8452 (Linking)
Abstract:		"The exploitation of parental care is common in avian and insect 'cuckoos' and these species engage in a coevolutionary arms race. Caterpillars of the lycaenid butterfly Niphanda fusca develop as parasites inside the nests of host ants (Camponotus japonicus) where they grow by feeding on the worker trophallaxis. We hypothesized that N. fusca caterpillars chemically mimic host larvae, or some particular castes of the host ant, so that the caterpillars are accepted and cared for by the host workers. Behaviourally, it was observed that the host workers enthusiastically tended glass dummies coated with the cuticular chemicals of larvae or males and those of N. fusca caterpillars living together. Cuticular chemical analyses revealed that N. fusca caterpillars grown in a host ant nest acquired a colony-specific blend of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs). Furthermore, the CHC profiles of the N. fusca caterpillars were particularly close to those of the males rather than those of the host larvae and the others. We suggest that N. fusca caterpillars exploit worker care by matching their cuticular profile to that of the host males, since the males are fed by trophallaxis with workers in their natal nests for approximately ten months"
Keywords:		"Animals Ants/drug effects/*parasitology Behavior, Animal/*drug effects Butterflies/*physiology Female Host-Parasite Interactions Larva/physiology Male Pheromones/*pharmacology Social Behavior;"
Notes:		"MedlineHojo, Masaru K Wada-Katsumata, Ayako Akino, Toshiharu Yamaguchi, Susumu Ozaki, Mamiko Yamaoka, Ryohei eng England 2008/10/10 Proc Biol Sci. 2009 Feb 7; 276(1656):551-8. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2008.1064"