Monday Night Mystery

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Monday Night Mystery

March 1, 2010 by myrmecos

What’s this?

Five points for picking the family, five points for the genus. And infinity points for figuring out what the those balloon-like structures are for. I have no idea.

Posted in fun, Navel-Gazing | Tagged animals | 10 Comments

10 Responses

on March 1, 2010 at 7:21 pm Wilma Lingle

I can’t even tell if it is coming or going …
Striking photograph regardless.
on March 1, 2010 at 7:21 pm JasonC.

Riodinidae , genus is Theope. Yay, I got one!
on March 1, 2010 at 7:26 pm JasonC.

Ooh, and do i get extra points for saying that it’s being attended by Azteca velox? I’m really excited right now.
on March 1, 2010 at 7:34 pm JasonC.

“In these obligate symbioses the
exaggerated balloon setae surrounding the head of
Theope caterpillars (figure 1) appear important in med-
iating associations with dolichoderine ants by providing
semiochemical stimuli to ant symbionts (DeVries 1997).”

From “Ancient butterfly-ant symbiosis: direct evidence from Dominican amber” (DeVries and Poinar 1997).

Gosh, is this the DeVries who has some show on Animal Planet?
- on March 1, 2010 at 7:40 pm myrmecos
  
  Gosh. Infinity points. I’m not even sure how to start giving those out!
  - on March 1, 2010 at 7:56 pm JasonC.
    
    I found something that refutes that and says they’re “used to store and disperse a noxious chemical when the caterpillar or pupa is grabbed by a predator, rather than to facilitate a symbiotic relationship with ants, as previously suggested.” I can’t access it, but you might.
    
    http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1603/0013-8746(2004)097%5B0310:LHOCSW%5D2.0.CO%3B2
    
    Well, time to get to my homework, then!
on March 1, 2010 at 7:38 pm Wilma Lingle

so, it is coming, then!
on March 2, 2010 at 5:59 am cupi

some caterpillar
on March 2, 2010 at 3:26 pm Marc "Teleutotje" Van der Stappen

And the first moment I saw this photograph I wondered if someone would remember your photograps http://www.myrmecos.net/ants/AztVel1.html and http://www.myrmecos.net/ants/AztVel2.html but no …..
on March 2, 2010 at 6:42 pm Answer to the Monday Night Mystery « Myrmecos Blog

[…] March 2, 2010 by myrmecos What was that bizarre balloon-spangled creature? […]