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Marcus Rhodes · @MarcusRhodes
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A newly emerged Silver-studded Blue butterfly with its entourage of Lasius ants.

After crawling from the ant nest in which it pupated, the butterfly continues to have worker ants in attendance throughout the vulnerable process of expanding its wings. It's very cool finding them covered in ants like this!

#butterfly #butterflies #silverstuddedblue #ants #insect #insects #lepidoptera #entomology #nature #wildlife #britishwildlife #britishnature #ecology #mutualism #symbiosis

Last updated 2 years ago
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Marcus Rhodes · @MarcusRhodes
247 followers · 25 posts · Server ecoevo.social
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The chrysalis of a Silver-studded Blue butterfly with Lasius ants attending to it. The caterpillars pupate inside or near to ant nests, often with multiple chrysalises lodging together in the same nest.

#chrysalis #pupa #pupae #silverstuddedblue #ants #insect #insects #lepidoptera #entomology #nature #wildlife #britishwildlife #britishnature #ukwildlife #ecology #mutualism #symbiosis

Last updated 2 years ago
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Marcus Rhodes · @MarcusRhodes
247 followers · 25 posts · Server ecoevo.social
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Silver-studded Blue caterpillars come in a choice of two colour schemes. The fourth instar caterpillars can either be a light brown or bright apple-green.

In this video, you can also see the tentacle organs in action. These are two retractable projections at the caterpillar's rear-end, which it can pop-up to attract the attention of ants.

#caterpillar #silverstuddedblue #ants #insect #insects #lepidoptera #entomology #nature #wildlife #britishwildlife #ukwildlife #ecology #mutualism #symbiosis

Last updated 2 years ago
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Marcus Rhodes · @MarcusRhodes
247 followers · 25 posts · Server ecoevo.social

#butterfly #butterflies #silverstuddedblue #ants #insect #insects #lepidoptera #entomology #nature #wildlife #britishwildlife #britishnature #ukwildlife #ecology #mutualism #symbiosis

Last updated 2 years ago
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Marcus Rhodes · @MarcusRhodes
247 followers · 25 posts · Server ecoevo.social
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Following on from yesterday, here's a Silver-studded Blue caterpillar with its posse of Lasius niger ants in attendance. These ants continually escort the caterpillar everywhere it goes, protecting it from predators and milking the honeydew that it produces.

#caterpillar #silverstuddedblue #ants #insect #insects #lepidoptera #entomology #nature #wildlife #britishwildlife #britishnature #ukwildlife #ecology #mutualism #symbiosis

Last updated 2 years ago
Original post