Creation Close-Up: Large Blue Butterfly

Maculinea arion

Are butterflies Parasites? Not typically, but in today's post we are going to learn about  a butterfly that requires a relationship with red ants to complete their lifecycle. And, the ants are not the beneficiaries.

The Large Blue butterfly, Maculinea arion, is native in South England, Europe, and parts of Asia. The Large Blue is not a very common butterfly and populations have been declining for quiet some time. It still survives in pockets here and there. Due to its threatened status it has been studied a great deal, and some very interesting things have been discovered about the Large Blue butterfly.

In depth study of the Large Blue goes back to the early 1900's. When entomology hobbyists tried to raise Large Blue butterflies to produce specimens for their display cases. They ran into a troubling problem: the caterpillar always died after the third instar. Why?

Large Blue Caterpillar

Large Blue butterflies live in open fields where the vegetation is short, sheltering in hedge rows and small bushes. Large Blue butterflies lay their eggs on Wild Thyme. Once the caterpillars emerge they eat Wild Thyme blossoms and any other caterpillars that are on the same flower. (Parasites and cannibals!) After the caterpillar reaches the third instar it falls to the ground and waits for red ants to come carry it to their nest. Not any ol' red ants, the Myrmica sabuleti species of red ant. The caterpillar entices the ants to take it back to their nest by secreting a sweet liquid from it's 'honey gland.' Once in the ants nest the Large Blue caterpillar makes it's diet of baby ant larve!  The caterpillar lives in the ant colony for ten months, dining on ant grubs, at which point it makes a crysallis and pupates. The butterfly must crawl out of ant nest to inflate and dry it's new wings.

Isn't that fascinating!

As the twentieth century progressed the Large Blue's population dwindled. It was declared extinct in England in 1979. Some things that diminished the Large Blue's habitat was lack of grazing on pastures and afforestation. With proper management of fields the Large Blue butterfly has been successfully reintroduced in England and there are several healthy populations.

Genesis 1:28  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Humans play an important part in the "natural" world. In this tale it was the lack of people raising livestock and allowing these farm animals to graze on pastures that harmed the Eco system for the Large Blue. As well, as planting trees, ironically. Don't get fooled into believing this planet would be a better place without humans on it. God gave us a role of subduing and having dominion over the beast of the field and over the fowl of the air. He made our planet and He knows what is best for it. My point is that we should be raising and domesticating creatures for our own uses.

If you are interested in reading further about the Large Blue butterfly here are the articles that I read and used as sources;
UK Centre For Ecology And Hydrology- The Large Blue Butterfly
Butterfly Conservation-Large Blue 
Wikipedia- Large Blue Butterfly
Entomology Today- The Curious Case Of The Large Blue Butterfly