Acta Amazonica ()

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

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4392202001801

Abstract

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ABSTRACT 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 Loefl. ex L. (Polygonaceae), a myrmecophytic plant typically known as ‘Triplaria’ or ‘novice’ tree, inhabited by aggressive ‘taxi’ ants of the genus Pseudomyrmex Lund. 1831 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). These observations suggest that M. grandis caterpillars live associated with one of the most harmful types of Amazon ant-plant symbiosis.

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