Entering the Race to Save this Buetiful Species
What A Great Indicator!
The Mission Blue butterfly and the Ant
Many species depend on the Mission Blue Butterfly as their meal such as birds, small rodents and dominant insects (Carolyn, 2010)without the Mission Blue the food web loses a large piece of itself causing it to become off balanced and eventually collapse because the species that was once dependent on the Mission Blue Butterfly can no longer be and must force itself to find a new food source which can become very difficult
The Mission Blue Butterfly is a food source to many creatures, such as birds and lizards (Carolyn, 2010) who depend on the Mission Blue Butterfly as a source of energy. When the caterpillars of the Mission Blue Butterfly becomes large they produce honeydew which is “sugary caterpillar pee” (Save Mount Sutro Forest,2010). Argentine ants are highly impacted by Mission Blue butterflies. These ants have a symbiotic relationship with this butterfly. During the spring feeding period of these butterflies the ants climb on the backs of the caterpillars. They stroke the larvae with their antennae, when they do this the larvae produces a sugary fluid, honeydew, the ants then feed of this. In return for the food the ants protect the larvae from predators and parasites (Arnold, 1994).
The Mission Blue butterfly is a great indicator of how safe and healthy their habitat is for many of the other species (image from Kobernus, 2010)
Ants drink honey dew off the Mission Blue butterflies in return for protecting the larvae from predators and parasites (image from Kobern)
Not only does the Mission Blue’s do all this, but they are also an indicator for a healthy environment and healthy ecosystem where they are living (Butterfly Conservation). Without one another a part of the ecosystem is broken. Such as if the Mission Blues were to go existent the native ants will have to find another way to get the same same food source they get from the caterpillar which will be nearly impossible.