The Evolution and Maintenance of Mutualism Between Lycaenid Butterflies and Ants

普林斯顿大学的娜奥米·皮尔斯博士提出了一个有趣的观点， 一种量化各种选择力的方法， 生物体中突变现象的进化。 这项研究将确定选择性的力量塑造 灰蝶幼虫和蚂蚁之间互惠共生的进化， 行为和生物化学机制， 协会 该项目的第一部分将衡量 对蚂蚁（Iridomyremes anceps和I.接收 从群体的角度来看， 生长速度和对繁殖育雏的投资。 它还将 研究个体差异的重要性 吸引蚂蚁幼虫的J. evagoras，生活在 聚合。 该项目的第二部分将考虑一些 的因果机制维持协会首先 测定了美洲斑潜蝇雌虫在不同生境下的产卵行为， 氮含量不同的寄主植物。 主要 然而，这方面研究的重点将是使用 蚂蚁生物测定和生化分析，以了解更多关于 灰蝶幼虫分泌物的性质。 特别 我们的兴趣将是识别参与的化学线索， 幼虫与其随从的种特异性识别 蚂蚁 为此，皮尔斯博士将比较 属中与某一特定种类有关的种 ant. 她还将确定氨基酸谱是否 不同种类的Jalmenus的分泌反映了饮食 蚂蚁的喜好。 最后，她会 检查灰蝶幼虫的表皮分泌物是否 无论如何，他们的随从的表面分泌物 蚂蚁 这些研究应该大大增加我们对 相互依存的有机体协会和我们的观点， 一般进化

Dr. Naomi Pierce of Princeton University proposes an intriguing approach to quantifying various selection forces that drive the evolution of mutalisms in living organisms. This research will identify selective forces shaping the evolution of mutualism between lycaenid larvae and ants, and behavioral and biochemical mechanisms maintaining the association. The first part of the project will measure the benefits that ants (Iridomyremes anceps and I. rufoniger) receive from tending larvae of Jalmenus evagoras in terms of colony growth rate and investment into reproductive brood. It will also investigate the importance of individual variation in attractiveness to ants of larvae of J. evagoras that live in aggregations. The second part of the project will consider some of the causal mechanisms maintaining the association by first testing the oviposition behavior of females of J. evagoras on host plants that vary in their nitrogen content. The main emphasis of this side of the research, however, will be in using ant bioassays and biochemical analyses to learn more about the nature of the secretions of lycaenid larvae. Of particular interest will be identifying the chemical cues involved in species specific recognition between larvae and their attendant ants. To do this, Dr. Pierce will compare the secretions of each species in the genus that associates with a particular species of ant. She will also determine whether the amino acid profiles secreted by different species of Jalmenus reflect the dietary preferences of their attendant ants. And finally, she will examine whether the epidermal secretions of lycaenid larvae mimic in any way the surface secretions of the brood of their attendant ants. These studies should add significantly to our understanding of interdependent organism associations and to our perspective on general evolution.