Blues and ants

[Padfield]

Does anyone know what is going on in this movie, taken today, 9th June? The blues are idas blues, Plebeius idas, closely related to the silver-studded blue. The larvae are known to have a strong relationship with ants, but this is a mating pair.

The movie is slowed down so the interaction is a little clearer. At full speed it all happens too fast. The blues are quite free to fly away - it seems to me this is communicative contact rather than aggression.

http://www.guypadfield.com/movies/idasant073.wmv

Guy

[Dave McCormick]

Think your right about commincation. Maybe them mating, the ants sense something. Not to sure on this. Maybe they are trying to protect them or something? I really don't really know, only a few suggestions.

[Padfield]

I think the answer might be on p. 122 of the new Thomas and Lewington. Black Lasius ants apparently attend newly emerged silver-studded blues (idas blue is very closely related to silver-studded) to lap up the droplets of fluid on them. The female in my video may well be freshly emerged, as male blues frequently jump them before their wings are even dry (OK - I learnt that from p. 142 of the new book, specifically with reference to Adonis blue). So I think there's no aggression here: the ants are simply trying to climb over the male to get to the female and lick up her last remaining drops of chrysalis water. Since blues are quite happy for this to happen (it offers protection) this would explain why the butterflies are making no apparent attempt to fly off, even if the male is getting a bit fed up of being swung around by his family treasures.

Guy