The Lycaenidae or copper butterfly are a large family of butterflies, also known as the gossamer-winged butterflies. They comprise about 40 % of all known butterfly species. Subfamilies include the blues Polyommatinae, the coppers Lycaeninae, the hairstreaks Theclinae and the harvesters Miletinae.

Lycaenids feed on various kinds of food including ferns, conifers, fungi, lichens, cycads, homopterans and ant larvae.

Not all Lycaenidae butterflies need ants, certain members of this family can not complete their lifecycle without the association of a particular ant. The term used to describe this is a myrmecophilous (living symbiotically with ants) relationship. Eggs are laid on a certain plant on which the larva feeds for the first three instars, however, on the fourth instar the larva leaves the plant, falls to the ground and is adopted by an ant colony. It becomes a parasite for the ants, the caterpillars pupate inside the ants nest and the ants continue to look after the pupae. Just before the adult emerges the wings of the butterfly inside the pupal case detach from it, and the pupa becomes silvery. The adult butterfly emerges from the pupa after 3-4 weeks, still inside the ant nest. The butterfly must crawl out of the ant nest before it can expand its wings.

More on [ Lycaenidae ]

PLoS Medicine: New Articles

Towards a Data Sharing Culture: Recommendations for Leadership from Academic Health Centers
Rebecca Crowley and colleagues propose that academic health centers can and should lead the transition towards a culture of biomedical data sharing.
Key Issues in Conducting a Meta-Analysis of Gene Expression Microarray Datasets
Adaikalavan Ramasamy and colleagues outline seven key issues and suggest a stepwise approach in conducting a meta-analysis of microarray datasets.
Revision Rates after Primary Hip and Knee Replacement in England between 2003 and 2006
Jan van der Meulen and colleagues show that about one in 75 patients with a primary hip or knee replacement needed a revision of their prosthesis within 3 years.

EurekAlert! - Biology

Biophysical Society names 2009 award recipients
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400
(Biophysical Society) The Biophysical Society is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2009 Society awards. The eight recipients will receive their awards at the Society's 53rd Annual Meeting on Monday, March 2, 2009, at the Boston Convention and Exhibitions Center in Massachusetts.
Iowa State wins $18.5M grant to create NSF Center for Biorenewable Chemicals
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400
(Iowa State University) The National Science Foundation has awarded Iowa State University and its research partners an $18.5 million grant to establish an NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals based at Iowa State. The center's focus will be to develop catalysts that promote the chemical reactions that can efficiently produce biorenewable chemicals. The center is also expected to create partnerships that promote innovation, transform engineered systems and produce engineering graduates who can contribute in a global economy.
INCF organizes the first congress dedicated to the emerging field of neuroinformatics
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400
(INCF - International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility) The first INCF Congress of Neuroinformatics will convene Sept. 7-9 at the Stockholm City Conference Center in Stockholm. The emerging neuroinformatics field combines neuroscience and informatics research to develop advanced tools and approaches to understanding the structure and function of the brain. The tools may also be applied to brain disorders and diseases. With a broad international outreach, the meeting will bring together experts from all disciplines contributing to neuroinformatics.

Subscribe to Biology RSS feed