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| Adonis Blue larva with ants, Polyommatus bellargus |
On Saturday morning I visited Woods Mill reserve and met a couple who were watching a grass snake hidden in grass by the path. It was eating a toad! They disturbed it after I left and I saw the snake heading to the lakeside very fast. I went back and found the toad sitting in the grass, glistening.
While Dan Danahar was shooting the Grizzled skipper video
with me at Mill Hill, he suggested we visited the chalk bank by the A27 where
he has recorded Adonis Blue in previous years. Inspired by Crispin Holloway’s fabulous
video of the Adonis Blue larva at Malling Down, we could search for an Adonis
larva. We arrived on site Saturday afternoon at 2:30pm and proceeded to search.
Within 10 minutes I spotted one on an ant hill at the bottom of the slope. It
was attended by its ants and Dan started filming the ants’ activity on the
larva. While this was going on I saw a pristine Green Hairstreak nectaring on adjacent blackthorn. Dingy Skippers plus Wavy-barred Sable and Little Roller micro moths were also around. Also a Muslin Moth larva.
Thomas &
Lewington’s excellent book “The Butterflies of Britain & Ireland” gives a
fascinating account of the symbiotic relationship between the ant and the
Adonis larva. The following is paraphrased from the book:
The ants drum on mechano-receptors with their antennae which
prompts the larva to release honeydew from a honey-gland. It is thought that a
volatile chemical is released from a pair of tentacle organs to attract the
ants when the larva moves around. The caterpillar also produces a subsonic ‘song’
which is sensed by the ants. The ants protect the larva from predators.
Our Adonis larva was attended by red ants, probably Myrmica sabuleti. I did see a black ant venture
nearby but it did not stay around. Two days later there were only black ants on
the ant hill and the larva had moved.
As soon as I arrived on Sunday a Small Copper landed in
front of me, my first of the year.
On Monday I couldn’t find the larva initially, but
eventually spotted it 3 metres up the slope from the ant hill, moving west
without its ants.
Saturday, Woods Mill:
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| Box Bug, Gonocerus acuteangulatus |
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| Buff-tailed bumblebee, Bombus terrestris |
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| Grass Snake, Natrix natrix |
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| help! |
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| Common Toad, Bufo bufo being eaten by Grass Snake |
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| Toad in recovery |
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| Cuckoo Flower, Cardamine pratensis |
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| Cuckoo Flower |
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| Dance fly, Empis species |
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| fly, id needed |
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| Goldfish, Carassius auratus auratus |
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| Hairy Bittercress, Cardamine hirsuta |
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| Hoverfly, Eristalis pertinax |
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| Hoverfly, Syrphus ribesii |
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| Lesser Celandine, Ranunculus ficaria |
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| Peacock, Inachis io |
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| Platycheirus species, male |
A27 bank:
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| Adonis Blue larva with ant, Polyommatus bellargus |
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| Carrion beetle, Silpha laevigata |
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| Dingy Skipper, Erynnis tages |
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| Dingy Skipper |
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| Green Hairstreak, Callophrys rubi |
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| Little Roller, Ancylis comptana |
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| looper - moth larva, id needed |
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| Wavy-barred Sable, Pyrausta nigrata |
Sunday:
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| Adonis Blue larva with ants |
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| Clausilia species |
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| Common Milkwort, Polygala vulgaris |
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| Wavy-barred Sable, Pyrausta nigrata |
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| Dark-edged Bee-fly, Bombylius major |
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| Dark-edged Bee-fly |
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| Ground-ivy, Glechoma hederacea |
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| Little Roller, Ancylis comptana |
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| Pied Hoverfly, Scaeva pyrastri |
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| Pill Woodlouse, Armadillidium vulgare |
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| Pill Woodlouse |
Monday:
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| Adonis larva on the move |
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| it is well camouflaged |
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| head revealed |
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| Dingy Skipper, Erynnis tages |
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| Muslin Moth, late instar larva, Diaphora mendica |
Hello
ReplyDeleteI'm French and i'm coding a software managing butterflies
(picture, distribution map and caterpillar, description ...)
May I use your caterpillar picture (Adonis Blue) to illustrate this butterflie ?
If yes, what is your identity so I can be credited to this photo ?
My email adresse : http:// yann.yvinec@orange.fr
Thank you in advance
Yann Yvinec
Extraordinary photos of the Adonis being tended by ants. I've just been reading about the Dorsal Nectary Organ in the 7th abdominal segment of certain Lycaenids, so seeing your photos of myrmecophily in action just blew me away. Thank you!
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