The first record of the parasitic myrmecophilous caterpillar Liphyrabrassolis (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae) inside Asian weaver ant (Oecophyllasmaragdina) nests in oil palm plantations

Dwi Advento A 1 , Yusah KM 2 , Salim H 3 , Naim M 1 , Caliman JP 1 , Fayle TM 4

Affiliations 

  • 1 Smart Research Institute, Pekanbaru, Indonesia Smart Research Institute Pekanbaru Indonesia
  • 2 Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sabah Kota Kinabalu Malaysia
  • 3 School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Minden Penang, Penang, Malaysia School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Minden Penang Penang Malaysia
  • 4 Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 1160/31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 1160/31, 370 05 České Budějovice Czech Republic
Biodivers Data J, 2022;10:e83842.
PMID: 36761604 DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.10.e83842

Abstract

Asian weaver ants (Oecophyllasmaragdina) are an important biocontrol agent in agricultural habitats. We conducted surveys in oil palm plantations in Riau, Indonesia for an obligate myrmecophilous butterfly larvae, Liphyrabrassolis (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae), that is known to consume weaver ant larvae in other habitat types. We found L.brassolis larvae in five of the twenty nests surveyed, with larval presence not being related to weaver ant nest size. We also observed L.brassolis larvae in a weaver ant mass rearing facility. This is the first report of L.brassolis from oil palm plantations and may have implications for the use of weaver ants as biological control agents.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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