About 10,000 arthropod species live as ants' social parasites and have evolved a number of mechanisms allowing them to penetrate and survive inside the ant nests.Myrmicacolonies, in particular, are exploited by numerous social parasites, and the presence of their overwintering brood, as well as of their polygyny, contributes to make them more vulnerable to infestation. Butterflies of the genusMaculineaare among the most investigatedMyrmicainquilines. These lycaenids are known for their very complex biological cycles.Maculineaspecies are obligated parasites that depend on a particular food plant and on a specificMyrmicaspecies for their survival.Maculinealarvae are adopted byMyrmicaants, which are induced to take them into their nests by chemical mimicry. Then the parasite spends the following 11–23 months inside the ants' nest. Mimicking the acoustic emission of the queen ants,Maculineaparasites not only manage to become integrated, but attain highest rank within the colony. Here we review the biology ofMaculinea/Myrmicasystem with a special focus on some recent breakthrough concerning their acoustical patterns.
MyrmicaAnts and Their Butterfly Parasites with Special Focus on the Acoustic Communication
