12-627: Callophrys lanoraieensis , the bog elfin , is a species of Lycaenidae that is native to North America. The wingspan ranges from 16 to 19 mm (0.63 to 0.75 in). It is a dull brown and tailless. The caterpillars eat black spruce ( Picea mariana ). They range from eastern New Hampshire through coastal Maine north to New Brunswick. Isolated populations in eastern Ontario, southern Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Maine, and rare in New York and Massachusetts. Within this range they tend to black spruce and tamarack bogs. This Eumaeini -related article
24-406: A relationship called myrmecophily . These associations can be mutualistic, parasitic, or predatory depending on the species. In some species, larvae are attended and protected by ants while feeding on the host plant, and the ants receive sugar-rich honeydew from them, throughout the larval life, and in some species during the pupal stage. In other species, only the first few instars are spent on
36-440: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Lycaenidae and see text or List of lycaenid genera Lycaenidae is the second-largest family of butterflies (behind Nymphalidae , brush-footed butterflies), with over 6,000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies . They constitute about 30% of the known butterfly species. The family comprises seven subfamilies, including
48-514: Is by no means definitely resolved; many genera await conformation of placement. Regardless, it is today generally considered better to restrict the Lycaeninae to the immediate relatives of the type genus Lycaena , and one or two clades close to that group. The Lycaeninae sensu stricto can be divided into two tribes : A few genera included in the Lycaeninae in the most extensive circumscriptions are now placed in subfamilies as distinct as
60-519: The "tentacular organ" is present on the eighth abdominal segment and this is cylindrical and topped with a ring of spikes and emits chemical signals which are believed to help in communicating with ants. Many taxonomists only include the Lycaeninae , Theclinae , Polyommatinae , Poritiinae , Miletinae , and Curetinae under the Lycaenidae. The Aphnaeinae , which used to be a tribe (Aphnaeini) within
72-611: The Riodininae. Lycaeninae Lycaeninae , the coppers , are a subfamily of the gossamer-winged butterflies (Lycaenidae). The relationships of the Lycaenidae are not fully resolved. Sometimes the Polyommatinae and Theclinae are included in the Lycaeninae; in particular the Theclinae tribe Eumaeini contains many similar taxa. Consequently, the delimitation of the Lycaeninae
84-538: The Theclinae, were recently given subfamily rank too. Some older classifications used to include other subfamilies such as Liphyrinae (now Liphyrini, a tribe within Miletinae ), Lipteninae (now Liptenini, a tribe within Poritiinae ), or Riodininae (now a separate family: Riodinidae ). The fossil genus Lithodryas is usually (but not unequivocally) placed here; Lithopsyche is sometimes placed here, but sometimes in
96-588: The blues ( Polyommatinae ), the coppers ( Lycaeninae ), the hairstreaks ( Theclinae ), and the harvesters ( Miletinae ). Adults are small, under 5 cm usually, and brightly coloured, sometimes with a metallic gloss. Lycaenidae wings are generally blue or green. More than half of these butterflies depend on ants in some way. Larvae are often flattened rather than cylindrical, with glands that may produce secretions that attract and subdue ants . Their cuticles tend to be thickened. Some larvae are capable of producing vibrations and low sounds that are transmitted through
108-443: The false head ending up with a beak of dusty scales. Lycaenid caterpillars are diverse in their food habits and apart from phytophagy , some are entomophagous , feeding on aphids , scale insects , and ant larvae. Some lycaenids even exploit their association with ants by inducing ants to feed them by regurgitation, a process called trophallaxis . Not all lycaenid butterflies need ants, but about 75% of species associate with ants,
120-435: The plant, and the remainder of the larval lifespan is spent as a predator within the ant nest. It becomes a parasite, feeding on ant regurgitations, or a predator on the ant larvae. The caterpillars pupate inside the ants' nest and the ants continue to look after the pupae. Just before the adults emerge, the wings of the butterfly inside the pupal case detach from it, and the pupa becomes silvery. The adult butterfly emerges from
132-484: The pupa after three to four weeks, still inside the ant nest. The butterfly must crawl out of the ant nest before it can expand its wings. Several evolutionary adaptations enable these associations, including small glands on the skin of the caterpillars called "pore cupola organs". Caterpillars of many species have a gland on the seventh abdominal segment that produces honeydew and is called the "dorsal nectary gland" (also called "Newcomer's gland"). An eversible organ called
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#1732869438808144-464: The substrates they inhabit. They use these sounds to communicate with ants. Adult individuals often have hairy antenna-like tails complete with black and white annulated (ringed) appearance. Many species also have a spot at the base of the tail and some turn around upon landing to confuse potential predators from recognizing the true head orientation. This causes predators to approach from the true head end resulting in early visual detection or to attack
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