Life History of Aricoris propitia (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae)—A Myrmecophilous Butterfly Obligately Associated with Fire Ants
Figure 2
Life stages of Aricoris propitia tended by Solenopsis saevissima on Byrsonima sp. ((a), (d)–(f)), Simarouba sp. ((b), (d) and (e)), and Hirtella glandulosa (c). (a) Female at postalighting phase near an ant-tended treehopper aggregation (arrow); (b) eggs (white arrows) and a third instar larva (black arrow); (c) first instar tended by one worker; (d) second instar tended by ants; (e) third instar tended by ants, note that both anterior (black arrow) and tentacle nectary organs (white arrow) are everted; (f) nocturnal fifth (last) instar tended by several ants; (g) nocturnal group of larvae and treehoppers (arrow) tended by ants; (h) diurnal larval group inside a shelter in the host-plant roots.
