Purple Copper Butterfly
A really cool species that has a symbiotic relationship with a particular species of ant.
"As the larvae hatch and mature, the attendant ants keep them underground in their nest during the day, shepherding them out at night to continue grazing on the blackthorn leaves. The ants' efforts are rewarded with a sugary honeydew from a gland on the larvae's backs.
When fully grown, the larvae return to the ants' nest to pupate from January until the butterflies emerge between August and November (later at high altitudes)."
www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/animals-and-plants/nati...
Purple Copper Butterfly
A really cool species that has a symbiotic relationship with a particular species of ant.
"As the larvae hatch and mature, the attendant ants keep them underground in their nest during the day, shepherding them out at night to continue grazing on the blackthorn leaves. The ants' efforts are rewarded with a sugary honeydew from a gland on the larvae's backs.
When fully grown, the larvae return to the ants' nest to pupate from January until the butterflies emerge between August and November (later at high altitudes)."
www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/animals-and-plants/nati...