Biryukova, O.B.

On the trophobiotic interaction of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) with sawfly larvae of Blasticotomidae (Hymenoptera)

Olga B. Biryukova Olga B. Biryukova, Institute of Systematics & Ecology of Animals, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Sb Ras, Frunze ul. 11, Novosibirsk, 630091, Russia. E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Myrmecol. News 10: 101 Ants have been considered so far to maintain mutualistic inter-relations with insects of three orders: Homoptera, Lepidoptera and Heteroptera. Mutualistic relations of ants with the sawfly larvae of Blasticotoma filiceti Klug, 1834 (Hymenoptera: Blasticotomidae) were recently discovered in the Altai Republic (Biryukova & al. 2006) and Moscow Region (Shcherbakov 2006). The study was conducted in coniferous forests in North-Eastern Altai (North terminal Teletskoe Lake) in September 2005 and from June to September 2006. Blasticotomidae larvae inhabit the inside of fern fronds (Athyrium filix-femina (L.) Roth, 1799) and are likely to feed on plant sap. The larva makes a hole in a frond to breathe and to excrete. Sawfly larvae have been found to have three types of secretions:…

Open access, licensed under CC BY 4.0. © 2007 The Author(s).

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