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Lycaenidae

April 29, 2023

Lycaenidae is the second-largest family of butterflies (behind Nymphalidae, brush-footed butterflies), with over 6,000 species worldwide,[1] whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies. They constitute about 30% of the known butterfly species.

Lycaenidae
The large blue, a lycaenid butterfly
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Papilionoidea
Family: Lycaenidae
Leach, 1815
Subfamilies

and see text or List of lycaenid genera

Brown hairstreak (Thecla betulae)

The family comprises seven subfamilies, including the blues (Polyommatinae), the coppers (Lycaeninae), the hairstreaks (Theclinae), and the harvesters (Miletinae).

Description, food, and life cycle

Adults are small, under 5 cm usually, and brightly coloured, sometimes with a metallic gloss.

Larvae are often flattened rather than cylindrical, with glands that may produce secretions that attract and subdue ants. Their cuticles tend to be thickened. Some larvae are capable of producing vibrations and low sounds that are transmitted through the substrates they inhabit. They use these sounds to communicate with ants.[2][3]

Adult individuals often have hairy antenna-like tails complete with black and white annulated (ringed) appearance. Many species also have a spot at the base of the tail and some turn around upon landing to confuse potential predators from recognizing the true head orientation. This causes predators to approach from the true head end resulting in early visual detection or to attack the false head ending up with a beak of dusty scales.[4]

Lycaenid caterpillars are diverse in their food habits and apart from phytophagy, some are entomophagous, feeding on aphids, scale insects, and ant larvae. Some lycaenids even exploit their association with ants by inducing ants to feed them by regurgitation, a process called trophallaxis. Not all lycaenid butterflies need ants, but about 75% of species associate with ants,[2] a relationship called myrmecophily. These associations can be mutualistic, parasitic, or predatory depending on the species.

In some species, larvae are attended and protected by ants while feeding on the host plant, and the ants receive sugar-rich honeydew from them, throughout the larval life, and in some species during the pupal stage. In other species, only the first few instars are spent on the plant, and the remainder of the larval lifespan is spent as a predator within the ant nest. It becomes a parasite, feeding on ant regurgitations, or a predator on the ant larvae.[2] The caterpillars pupate inside the ants' nest and the ants continue to look after the pupae. Just before the adults emerge, the wings of the butterfly inside the pupal case detach from it, and the pupa becomes silvery. The adult butterfly emerges from the pupa after three to four weeks, still inside the ant nest. The butterfly must crawl out of the ant nest before it can expand its wings.

Several evolutionary adaptations enable these associations, including small glands on the skin of the caterpillars called "pore cupola organs". Caterpillars of many species have a gland on the seventh abdominal segment that produces honeydew and is called the "dorsal nectary gland" (also called "Newcomer's gland"). An eversible organ called the "tentacular organ" is present on the eighth abdominal segment and this is cylindrical and topped with a ring of spikes and emits chemical signals which are believed to help in communicating with ants.[5]

Subfamilies

Many taxonomists only include the Lycaeninae, Theclinae, Polyommatinae, Poritiinae, Miletinae, and Curetinae under the Lycaenidae.[6][7] The Aphnaeinae, which used to be a tribe (Aphnaeini) within the Theclinae, were recently given subfamily rank too.[8]

Some older classifications used to include other subfamilies such as Liphyrinae (now Liphyrini, a tribe within Miletinae), Lipteninae (now Liptenini, a tribe within Poritiinae), or Riodininae (now a separate family: Riodinidae).

The fossil genus Lithodryas is usually (but not unequivocally) placed here; Lithopsyche is sometimes placed here, but sometimes in the Riodininae.

See also

References

  1. ^ Pierce, Naomi E.; Braby, Michael F.; Heath, Alan; Lohman, David J.; Mathew, John; Rand, Douglas B. & Travassos, Mark A. (January 2002)."The Ecology and Evolution of Ant Association in the Lycaenidae (Lepidoptera)". Annual Review of Entomology. 47 (1): 259-267. doi:[https://doi.org/10.1146%2Fannurev.ento.47.091201.145257 10.1146/annurev.ento.47.091201.145257.
  2. ^ a b c Pierce, N. E.; Braby, M. F.; Heath, A.; Lohman, D. J.; Mathew, J.; Rand, D. B. & Travassos, M. A. (2002). "The ecology and evolution of ant association in the Lycaenidae (Lepidoptera)". Annual Review of Entomology. 47: 733-771.
  3. ^ DeVries, Philip J. (1992). "Singing Caterpillars, Ants and Symbiosis". Scientific American, 267: 76
  4. ^ Robbins, Robert K. (1981). "The 'False Head' Hypothesis: Predation and Wing Pattern Variation of Lycaenid Butterflies". American Naturalist. 118 (5): 770-775.
  5. ^ . Australian Museum. Archived 18 November 2007.
  6. ^ Brower, Andrew V. Z. (2008). "Lycaenidae [Leach] 1815". Version 25 April 2008 (under construction). The Tree of Life Web Project.
  7. ^ Ackery, P. R.; de Jong, R. & Vane-Wright, R. I. (1999). "The butterflies: Hedyloidea, Hesperioidea, and Papilionoidea". Pages 264-300 in: Lepidoptera: Moths and Butterflies. 1. Evolution, Systematics, and Biogeography. Handbook of Zoology Vol. IV, Part 35. N. P. Kristensen, ed. De Gruyter, Berlin and New York.
  8. ^ Boyle, J. H.; Kaliszewska, Z. A.; Espeland, M.; Suderman, T. R.; Fleming, J.; Heath, A. & Pierce, N. E. (2015). "Phylogeny of the Aphnaeinae: Myrmecophilous African butterflies with carnivorous and herbivorous life histories". Systematic Entomology. 40 (1): 169–182.

Further reading

  • Bridges, Charles A. (1994). Catalogue of the Family-Group, Genus-Group and Species-Group Names of the Riodinidae & Lycaenidae (Lepidoptera) of the World. Urbana, Ill.
  • Eliot, J. N. (1973). "The higher classification of the Lycaenidae (Lepidoptera): a tentative arrangement". Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) (Entomology). 28: 371–505.
  • Glassberg, Jeffrey (2001). Butterflies Through Binoculars, The West
  • Guppy, Crispin S. & Shepard, Jon H. (2001). Butterflies of British Columbia
  • James, David G. and Nunnallee, David (2011). Life Histories of Cascadia Butterflies
  • Pelham, Jonathan (2008). Catalogue of the Butterflies of the United States and Canada
  • Pyle, Robert Michael (2002). The Butterflies of Cascadia

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lycaenidae.
 
Wikispecies has information related to Lycaenidae.

April 29, 2023
lycaenidae, second, largest, family, butterflies, behind, nymphalidae, brush, footed, butterflies, with, over, species, worldwide, whose, members, also, called, gossamer, winged, butterflies, they, constitute, about, known, butterfly, species, large, blue, lyc. Lycaenidae is the second largest family of butterflies behind Nymphalidae brush footed butterflies with over 6 000 species worldwide 1 whose members are also called gossamer winged butterflies They constitute about 30 of the known butterfly species LycaenidaeThe large blue a lycaenid butterflyScientific classificationKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ArthropodaClass InsectaOrder LepidopteraSuperfamily PapilionoideaFamily LycaenidaeLeach 1815SubfamiliesAphnaeinae Curetinae sunbeams Lycaeninae coppers Miletinae harvesters Polyommatinae blues Poritiinae Theclinae hairstreaks elfinsand see text or List of lycaenid generaBrown hairstreak Thecla betulae Loxura atymnus The family comprises seven subfamilies including the blues Polyommatinae the coppers Lycaeninae the hairstreaks Theclinae and the harvesters Miletinae Contents 1 Description food and life cycle 2 Subfamilies 3 See also 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksDescription food and life cycle EditAdults are small under 5 cm usually and brightly coloured sometimes with a metallic gloss Larvae are often flattened rather than cylindrical with glands that may produce secretions that attract and subdue ants Their cuticles tend to be thickened Some larvae are capable of producing vibrations and low sounds that are transmitted through the substrates they inhabit They use these sounds to communicate with ants 2 3 Adult individuals often have hairy antenna like tails complete with black and white annulated ringed appearance Many species also have a spot at the base of the tail and some turn around upon landing to confuse potential predators from recognizing the true head orientation This causes predators to approach from the true head end resulting in early visual detection or to attack the false head ending up with a beak of dusty scales 4 Lycaenid caterpillars are diverse in their food habits and apart from phytophagy some are entomophagous feeding on aphids scale insects and ant larvae Some lycaenids even exploit their association with ants by inducing ants to feed them by regurgitation a process called trophallaxis Not all lycaenid butterflies need ants but about 75 of species associate with ants 2 a relationship called myrmecophily These associations can be mutualistic parasitic or predatory depending on the species In some species larvae are attended and protected by ants while feeding on the host plant and the ants receive sugar rich honeydew from them throughout the larval life and in some species during the pupal stage In other species only the first few instars are spent on the plant and the remainder of the larval lifespan is spent as a predator within the ant nest It becomes a parasite feeding on ant regurgitations or a predator on the ant larvae 2 The caterpillars pupate inside the ants nest and the ants continue to look after the pupae Just before the adults emerge the wings of the butterfly inside the pupal case detach from it and the pupa becomes silvery The adult butterfly emerges from the pupa after three to four weeks still inside the ant nest The butterfly must crawl out of the ant nest before it can expand its wings Several evolutionary adaptations enable these associations including small glands on the skin of the caterpillars called pore cupola organs Caterpillars of many species have a gland on the seventh abdominal segment that produces honeydew and is called the dorsal nectary gland also called Newcomer s gland An eversible organ called the tentacular organ is present on the eighth abdominal segment and this is cylindrical and topped with a ring of spikes and emits chemical signals which are believed to help in communicating with ants 5 Subfamilies Edit Mating Cyaniris semiargus Many taxonomists only include the Lycaeninae Theclinae Polyommatinae Poritiinae Miletinae and Curetinae under the Lycaenidae 6 7 The Aphnaeinae which used to be a tribe Aphnaeini within the Theclinae were recently given subfamily rank too 8 Curetinae sunbeams Oriental or Palaearctic Selected species Curetis thetis Indian sunbeam Miletinae harvesters mostly African or Oriental one Nearctic probably all feed on aphids or their secretions Selected species Liphyra brassolis moth butterfly largest lycaenid Poritiinae Oriental and Afrotropical Aphnaeinae Afrotropical and Oriental Theclinae hairstreaks usually tailed and elfins not tailed global Selected species Arhopala oakblues Atlides halesus great purple hairstreak Eumaeus atala Atala Satyrium pruni black hairstreak Lycaeninae coppers Holarctic Selected species Iophanus pyrrhias Guatemalan copper Lycaena boldenarum boulder copper Lycaena epixanthe bog copper Lycaena rauparaha Rauparaha s copper Lycaena dispar large copper Lycaena phlaeas small copper Lycaena heteronea blue copper Polyommatinae blues global Selected species Celastrina ladon spring azure Chilades jewel blues Cupido comyntas eastern tailed blue Cupido minimus small blue Cyaniris semiargus mazarine blue Euphilotes battoides allyni El Segundo blue Euphilotes pallescens arenamontana Sand Mountain blue Glaucopsyche lygdamus silvery blue Glaucopsyche lygdamus palosverdesensis Palos Verdes blue Glaucopsyche xerces extinct Xerces blue Icaricia icarioides fenderi Fender s blue Phengaris arion large blue Polyommatus icarus common blue Pseudozizeeria maha pale grass blue Plebejus argus silver studded blue Talicada nyseus red PierrotSome older classifications used to include other subfamilies such as Liphyrinae now Liphyrini a tribe within Miletinae Lipteninae now Liptenini a tribe within Poritiinae or Riodininae now a separate family Riodinidae The fossil genus Lithodryas is usually but not unequivocally placed here Lithopsyche is sometimes placed here but sometimes in the Riodininae See also EditList of lycaenid generaReferences Edit Pierce Naomi E Braby Michael F Heath Alan Lohman David J Mathew John Rand Douglas B amp Travassos Mark A January 2002 The Ecology and Evolution of Ant Association in the Lycaenidae Lepidoptera Annual Review of Entomology 47 1 259 267 doi https doi org 10 1146 2Fannurev ento 47 091201 145257 10 1146 annurev ento 47 091201 145257 a b c Pierce N E Braby M F Heath A Lohman D J Mathew J Rand D B amp Travassos M A 2002 The ecology and evolution of ant association in the Lycaenidae Lepidoptera Annual Review of Entomology 47 733 771 DeVries Philip J 1992 Singing Caterpillars Ants and Symbiosis Scientific American 267 76 Robbins Robert K 1981 The False Head Hypothesis Predation and Wing Pattern Variation of Lycaenid Butterflies American Naturalist 118 5 770 775 Lycaenid Butterflies and Ants Australian Museum Archived 18 November 2007 Brower Andrew V Z 2008 Lycaenidae Leach 1815 Version 25 April 2008 under construction The Tree of Life Web Project Ackery P R de Jong R amp Vane Wright R I 1999 The butterflies Hedyloidea Hesperioidea and Papilionoidea Pages 264 300 in Lepidoptera Moths and Butterflies 1 Evolution Systematics and Biogeography Handbook of Zoology Vol IV Part 35 N P Kristensen ed De Gruyter Berlin and New York Boyle J H Kaliszewska Z A Espeland M Suderman T R Fleming J Heath A amp Pierce N E 2015 Phylogeny of the Aphnaeinae Myrmecophilous African butterflies with carnivorous and herbivorous life histories Systematic Entomology 40 1 169 182 Further reading EditBridges Charles A 1994 Catalogue of the Family Group Genus Group and Species Group Names of the Riodinidae amp Lycaenidae Lepidoptera of the World Urbana Ill Eliot J N 1973 The higher classification of the Lycaenidae Lepidoptera a tentative arrangement Bulletin of the British Museum Natural History Entomology 28 371 505 Glassberg Jeffrey 2001 Butterflies Through Binoculars The West Guppy Crispin S amp Shepard Jon H 2001 Butterflies of British Columbia James David G and Nunnallee David 2011 Life Histories of Cascadia Butterflies Pelham Jonathan 2008 Catalogue of the Butterflies of the United States and Canada Pyle Robert Michael 2002 The Butterflies of CascadiaExternal links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lycaenidae Wikispecies has information related to Lycaenidae Tree of Life Web Project Bartlett Troy 18 December 2017 Family Lycaenidae Blues Coppers Hairstreaks Harvesters BugGuide Retrieved 5 February 2020 Family Lycaenidae Insecta pro Lycaenidae National Center for Biotechnology Information NCBI Report Integrated Taxonomic Information System Lycaenidae at the Encyclopedia of Life Royal Museum for Central Africa Images of Lycaenidae 1 Butterflies and Moths of North America Butterflies of America Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lycaenidae amp oldid 1152277892, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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