Evolutionary Perspectives on Myrmecophily in Ladybirds

Myrmecophiles are species that usually have developed specialized traits to cope with the aggressiveness of ants enabling them to live in their vicinity. Many coccinellid species are predators of Hemiptera; the latter is also often protected by ants. Therefore these ladybirds frequently interact wit...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psyche (Cambridge, Mass.) Mass.), 2012, Vol.2012 (2012), p.1-7
Main Authors: Vantaux, Amélie, Roux, Olivier, Magro, Alexandra, Orivel, Jérôme
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biodiversity and Ecology
Environmental Sciences
Formicidae
Hemiptera
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Myrmecophiles are species that usually have developed specialized traits to cope with the aggressiveness of ants enabling them to live in their vicinity. Many coccinellid species are predators of Hemiptera; the latter is also often protected by ants. Therefore these ladybirds frequently interact with ants, and some species have become myrmecophilous. In this paper, we aim to provide an overview of the evolution of myrmecophilous traits in ladybirds. We then discuss the costs and benefits of myrmecophily and the dietary shift to myrmecophagy observed in a few species.
ISSN:0033-2615
1687-7438
DOI:10.1155/2012/591570