In the afternoon we will visit the area of Smolyan Lakes , which is good for Apollo, Balkan Copper, Mazarine Blue, Heath Fritillary, Marsh Fritillary, Woodland Ringlet, Bright-eyed Ringlet, Ottoman Brassy Ringlet, Chestnut Heath , etc. [26], Though P. rebeli is a parasite, it acts itself as a host to the parasitoid ichneumon wasp, Ichneumon eumerus. Size and Family. This is a video of the alcon blue butterfly taken from the BBC's Life in the Undergrowth documentary series. See how cameraman Alastair MacEwan filmed the Alcon Blue butterfly. Horse‐grazing was terminated around 2010 and the site has not been managed since, making this site the most recently abandoned. ''Phengaris alcon'', more commonly known as Alcon Blue or Alcon Large Blue, is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family and is found in Europe and Northern Asia. The Alcon blue butterfly lays eggs on the marsh gentian, but the larvae leave the plant and migrate to the ground to attract ants. Help save Our Planet: Eat More Plants. P. rebeli has been rigorously studied in Europe because it has priority conservation status and was classified as "vulnerable" in 2000 by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It belongs to a large family of butterflies, the Lycaenidae, many of whom have a special relationship with ants. However, larvae in predatory species prey on the ants’ brood and consequently spend much of their life hiding in pockets of the brood nest. Image Size: 878*1358 530 KB . On all of the 8 smaller patches, ranging between 3300 m 2 and around 7600 m 2, the Alcon Blue was absent, while on 10 out of the 12 plots that ranged between 8300 m 2 and 47,900 m 2 the species was present, with the highest abundances found on plot sizes over 12,000 m 2. Its specific and complicated ecological requirements make P. alcon a very local, threatened species, sensitive to environmental changes. Alcon Blue Butterfly. In both stages, a P. rebeli caterpillar is brought into the brood nest; however, in full integration, P. rebeli also achieves its high social status within the host society. [2], There has been controversy over whether Phengaris rebeli, currently regarded as an ecotype within the Alcons, should be listed as a separate species. Image Size: 878*1358 530 KB . The butterflies occur on damp meadows where Gentiana grows; they are plentiful in such places, sometimes even in abundance, from the end of May into July, in the North not before the end of June. (A) Caterpillar emerging from a G. pneumonanthe bud with eggs. 3 Citations. The Butterfly Defect ongoing project ongoing. Zigzagging they leave a trace in front of you, before quickly disappearing. This butterfly begins life as eggs laid on leaves of Gentiana cruciata plants. [13][14], Generally, Lycaenidae species which have a myrmecophilous relationship with the ant genus Myrmica are locked to primary host specificity. In the resulting confusion the wasp locates the butterfly larva and injects it with its eggs. The Alcon Blue butterfly (Phengaris Alcon) is very pretty, but appearances can be deceiving for it is a rather wicked creature. After the ant brood adopts the FDL, which comprise approximately 25% of the total P. rebeli larvae,[23] the FDL complete growth the following spring and eclose (emerge as an adult from the pupa) in early summer to complete their life cycle. Info. P. rebeli larvae prey upon ant brood while producing sugar-rich secretions which worker ants imbibe. [7], The genus Phengaris was previously considered a subgroup within the genus Maculinea (explaining why P. rebeli was formerly known as M. rebeli) and the Maculinea-Phengaris clade is thought to be a section within Glaucopsyche. [8] The caterpillars eat no other plants. In an experiment, P. rebeli individuals which consumed ant larvae developed more quickly than those who did not. When the Alcon larva is fully developed it pupates. [10], P. rebeli are noted for their large blue wings, with the males displaying a violet blue shade and the females displaying blue basal areas interspersed with brown spots, similar to other butterflies in the genus. 1 Altmetric. Its lays its eggs on the flower buds of the Marsh Gentian and the flowers become the first food source for the caterpillars. Family: Blues; Size: Small / Medium; Wing Span Range (male to female): 30-36mm; Conservation Status. The causes of this drastic population reduction are thought to be agricultural land use changes, abandonment of extensive management, and deforestation. See how cameraman Alastair MacEwan filmed the Alcon Blue butterfly. (B) Recently emerged caterpillar being carried to the nest by a worker of M. rubra. 1. However, they are unlikely to be bivoltine (producing two broods in one season). "Relationship between the butterfly Phengaris rebeli and its larval host plant Gentiana cruciata in Lithuanian population". The larvae release a chemical that smells like ant larvae to trick ants into thinking it as their kind, and are consequently carried into the brood to feed among the ant larvae. The butterfly lays its eggs onto the Marsh Gentian ; in the region of the … In addition, despite their nourishing offering to the ant colony, they invariably imposed a net loss in the survival rates of workers and brood, demonstrating that the species is parasitic (rather than mutualistic) at all stages in its host colony. For one, it is more trophically efficient than preying directly on other ant grubs, and as a result, significantly more cuckoo-type larvae can be supported per nest than predatory larvae. [5] The caterpillars hatch and feed upon the flowers and developing fruits of the plant. Behind the scenes: Our Planet crews used specialist techniques to film our planet's smallest creatures. working on a project on the disappearing icon, 'the Alcon blue', with support of MIAP. [19], There are two phases in the integration of P. rebeli into a Myrmica schencki ant colony: initial integration and full integration. Once the wasp's eggs hatch, the larvae feed on the caterpillar, eventually killing it.[6]. [8], The groups are divided based on their alternative parasitization strategies of the host ants. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that certain researchers claim that P. rebeli larvae can have continuous development. P. rebeli choose where to lay their eggs based on the size of G. cruciata leaves and not upon the location of the closest Myrmica ant colony. [4], It was determined that P. rebeli larvae use chemical mimicry to persuade the M. schencki ants that they are part of the ant brood. [17] Therefore, once the P. rebeli begin to mimic the sound of the queen ant, the worker ants begin to treat the P. rebeli as if it were the queen ant. This transparent Butterfly Cartoon - Gossamerwinged Butterflies, Menelaus Blue Morpho, Brushfooted Butterflies, Monarch Butterfly, Insect, Glasswing Butterfly, Alcon Blue, Butterfly, Morpho, Lepidoptera, Butterflies png image is uploaded by … has a row of black dots before the margin, almost parallel with it; found by Hafner at Loitsch and other places in Carniolia.— In the form rebeli Hirschke the blue of the upperside is more brilliant and more extended, the dark margin being reduced, in the female only the apical area black; Styria. It has a wingspan of approximately 32–36 mm. Its lays its eggs on the flower buds of the Marsh Gentian and the flowers become the first food source for the caterpillars. See 100+ butterfly species in a week – more than 115 in 2016 & 2017 without rushing around! Once inside the nest, the caterpillar tricks the ants into feeding and caring for it. This Dutch butterfly a subspecies of the Alcon Blue was found mainly in the grasslands of The Netherlands. This large meadow was regularly mowed at least from 1960. Videos you watch may be added to the TV's watch history and influence TV recommendations. Smell-wars between butterflies and ants [press release] A … This trait is not as prominent in ancestors of the alcon group and in M. nausithous, which is part of the teleius group. The species of large blue butterfly we study at the Universities of Copenhagen and Aarhus is the Alcon blue, Maculinea alcon. On pupation, the wasp eggs hatch and consume the chrysalis from the inside. Butterfly Conservation priority: Low European Status: Vulnerable; Caterpillar Foodplants. [10] M. schencki and M. sabuleti are parasitized by P. rebeli while M. salina and M. vandeli are parasitized by P. alcon. Clusters of interconnected populations are therefore crucial to maintain … It lays its eggs onto the marsh gentian (Gentiana pneumonanthe); in the region of the Alps they are sometimes also found on the related willow gentian (Gentiana asclepiadea). [7] It was first brought to the IUCN's attention and listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 1986. Theseasonalpopulationsizewasestimatedat1460adults(95%CI:1358–1582), including793males. The socially parasitic Alcon blue butterfly (Phengaris alcon) starts its larval stage by feeding on the seeds of gentians, after which it completes development in the nests of … The dark violet-grey underside has numerous ocelli. Plitvice Lakes is the oldest and largest national park in the Republic of Croatia. The smallest patch on which the Alcon Blue occurred was approximately 8300 m 2. (A) Caterpillar emerging from a G. pneumonanthe bud with eggs. L. alcon is easily distinguished from the following species (coeligena, euphemus, arcas, arion, arionides ...) by the male bearing on the blue disc of the forewing no other black spots but the discocellular lunule. Effect of the parasitic Alcon blue butterfly on its host ant colonies. Caterpillars of the Alcon blue butterfly Phengaris alcon are initially endophytic and feed inside the flowerheads of Gentiana plants, but complete their development as social parasites in the nests of Myrmica ants, where they are fed by workers. The vessel BLUE BUTTERFLY (IMO: 9788576, MMSI 352514000) is a Tanker and currently sailing under the flag of … [18] Most importantly, however, is the fact that distress noises made by the queen causes workers to raise their guard and bolster her protection. Nest size Proportion of nests with brood Number of Maculinea alcon caterpillars in nest AB Fig. The two types are morphologically indistinguishable and molecular analysis has revealed little genetic difference, mostly attributable to localized habitat adaptation. An Alcon blue butterfly (Maculinea alcon) lays her eggs on marsh gentian (Gentiana pneumonanthe) flower heads. [8], Several researchers argue that P. rebeli has not evolved into a separate species from Phengaris alcon and that any variation between the two groups is due to intraspecific variation. cecinae Hormuz. [24] The SDL, which comprise 75% of P. rebeli larvae, do not grow much during the first year, but grow rapidly during the early part of the second summer and remain a second winter within the ant colonies. [11] Populations of P. rebeli are concentrated in the northern part of Portugal and Greece, the western Pyrenees, France, and eastern part of Germany.[11]. The caterpillars hatch and feed upon the flowers and developing fruits of the plant. The Dutch Alcon blue (Phengaris alcon arenaria) was a subspecies of the Alcon blue butterfly (Phengaris alcon). The beautiful and rare Alcon Blue butterfly, Maculina alcon, has a surprising life cycle; for about nine months of the year it behaves like a cuckoo. The species was categorized as "vulnerable" because its population decreased by 20-50% in the last 25 years and has been extirpated from at least one country. The species can be seen flying in mid- to late summer. They feed here … Add … [14] Researchers also observed females did not base their oviposition on where they found Myrmica nests. [20], "The battle of the butterflies and the ants", "Chemical mimicry and host specificity in the butterfly Maculinea rebeli, a social parasite of Myrmica ant colonies", "Mimetic host shifts in an endangered social parasite of ants", "Butterfly and Wasp: A Devious, Deceitful Cycle of Life", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Phengaris_alcon&oldid=1017213467, Articles with dead external links from May 2020, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 11 April 2021, at 14:20.
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