Blues, Coppers, Hairstreaks, Harvesters
Lycaenidae
Classification
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Superfamily: Papilionoidea
- Family: Lycaenidae
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Lycaenidae: //laɪˈsiːɪnɪˌdeɪ//
These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.
Images
Summary
Lycaenidae, commonly known as Lycaenids or gossamer-winged butterflies, is the second largest family of butterflies with over 6,000 species. They include various subfamilies such as Blues, Coppers, Hairstreaks, and Harvesters and display complex behaviors in their life cycles, often involving interactions with ants.
Physical Characteristics
Adults are small, generally under 5 cm, brightly colored often with metallic gloss. Wings are typically blue or green. Larvae are often flattened, with thickened cuticles and may have sugar-producing glands on their bodies.
Identification Tips
Adult individuals often have hairy antenna-like tails, which can confuse predators about their true head orientation. Look for reflective blue, purple, or copper colors above in adults, and slug-like appearances in larvae.
Habitat
Diverse habitats include flowers, mud puddles, carrion, and fruit; many species interact closely with ant nests.
Distribution
Widespread global distribution with over 6,000 species.
Diet
Adults mainly feed on nectar from flowers but may also feed on fermenting fruit or mud for minerals. Larvae predominantly herbivorous, with some species having carnivorous larvae that feed on small Homoptera such as aphids.
Life Cycle
Complex life cycles, often involving relationships with ants. Adults emerge from pupae and expand their wings outside of ant nests. Some larvae live within ant nests and can feed on ant larvae or obtain food from ants directly.
Reproduction
Reproduction involves laying eggs on specific plants that are suitable for larval development; many species have mutualistic relationships with ants during their development stages.
Predators
Birds and other predators that feed on butterflies and larvae.
Ecosystem Role
Play an important role in pollination and as a part of the food web; their larvae can affect the populations of plant-sucking insects.
Evolution
Lycaenidae is considered to have evolved with distinct features allowing for complex interactions with ants, resulting in mutualistic, parasitic, or predatory relationships.
Similar Taxa
Misconceptions
There is a common misconception that all lycaenids rely heavily on ants; while about 75% do associate with ants, many do not depend on them at all.
Tags
- Lepidoptera
- Lycaenidae
- butterflies
- gossamer-winged butterflies
- pollinators