Eavesdropping on cooperative communication within an ant-butterfly mutualism

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Behavioral Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology

Background:

• Interspecific mutualisms rely on signaling for maintenance.
• Eavesdropping on these signals by natural enemies is poorly understood.
• The Australian lycaenid butterfly, Jalmenus evagoras, has an obligate mutualism with ants.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the exploitation of ant signals by natural enemies of Jalmenus evagoras.
• To determine if spiders and parasitoid wasps use ant cues for foraging and oviposition.

Main Methods:

• Field observations and experiments were conducted on Jalmenus evagoras and its attendant ants.
• Predator foraging success and parasitoid oviposition behavior were monitored in relation to ant presence and signaling.

Main Results:

• Araneid spiders were found to exploit ant signals, increasing their foraging success.
• Braconid parasitoid wasps also exploited ant signals, enhancing their oviposition success.
• The study identified specific predators and parasitoids that eavesdrop on the mutualistic signals.

Conclusions:

• Natural enemies can exploit interspecific mutualistic signals.
• This exploitation benefits predators and parasitoids in their foraging and reproductive efforts.
• Selection pressures from eavesdropping may not significantly alter the ant signal itself.