Oviposition of Minstrellus grandis (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae) in a harmful ant-plant symbiosis

Lucas A. KAMINSKI, Eduardo CARNEIRO, Diego R. DOLIBAINA, Mirna M. CASAGRANDE, Olaf H. H. MIELKE
2020 Acta Amazonica  
The oviposition behavior of the rare butterfly Minstrellus grandis (Callaghan, 1999) (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae) is recorded for the first time. Two females laid eggs on the old leaves of an unidentified Triplaris sp. (Polygonaceae), a myrmecophytic plant typically known as 'Triplaria' or 'novice' tree, inhabited by aggressive 'taxi' ants of the genus Pseudomyrmex sp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). These observations suggest that M. grandis caterpillars live associated with one of the most harmful types of Amazon ant-plant symbiosis.
doi:10.1590/1809-4392202001801 fatcat:nonsrv4wibcn5fy4dkbygedbpq