Vályi Nagy, M. & Csősz, S.

Host ant specificity of the Large Blue butterfly, Maculinea alcon (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775), in the Carpathian Basin (Hymenoptera: Formicidae; Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

Marianna VÁLYI Nagy & Sándor CSŐSZ Marianna Vályi Nagy (contact author), Department of Entomology, Corvinus University of Budapest, 44 Ménesi u., H-1118 Budapest, Hungary. E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Dr. Sándor Csősz, Department of Zoology, Hungarian Natural History Museum, 13 Baross u., H-1088 Budapest, Hungary. E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Myrmecol. News 10: 124 There are four endangered species of the genus Maculinea in Hungary. The Maculinea alcon (Denis & SCHIFFERMÜLLER, 1775) - M. rebeli (Hirschke, 1904) complex is indicated by the latest genetic research to consist of ecological races of one species, whereas some authors regard them as subspecies (Als & al. 2004, Bereczki & al. 2005). During the 20th century, most of the populations declined. Today Large Blue butterflies are highly endangered throughout the Carpathian Basin: All species are included in both, the Hungarian and the European red data lists. These butterflies display a particular parasitic lifestyle: The early instars consume flower buds of specific…

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

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