Ecological processes: previous research on myrmecophily

CEH has carried out extensive research aimed at providing the ecological knowledge essential to conserve insect biodiversity in a changing world of habitat degradation and climate change. Specific research has been undertaken to understand how the factors function that determine the range, distribution and abundance of different types of species.

CEH's approach is to combine large-scale "top-down" analyses that explore patterns of change with very detailed 'bottom-up' studies of the underlying ecological processes.

Our large-scale study systems include CEH's unique databases of heathland ecosystems and UK butterfly distributions and long-term population changes. Process-driven work has involved fundamental studies of the population, community and evolutionary ecology of (often endangered) insects that live in closely-coupled systems, including myrmecophilous species (organisms that live with ants).

Specific research has included:

MacMan

We participated in the European Union Framework V programme MacMan (Maculinea Butterflies of the Habitats Directive and European Red List as Indicators and Tools for Habitat Conservation and Management). This was a four-year (2002-2006) EU-funded programme of collaborative research.

Maculinea butterflies have become icons in conservation. Their scientific interest lies in the variety of specialisations within the genus that allow different species to exploit ants in different ways and in the high levels of intra-specific variation in adaptations that have evolved in some species over short bio-geographical distances.

A key objective of MacMan was to increase understanding of inter- and intraspecific variation in the functional ecology of Maculinea systems in order to provide the knowledge needed to manage sites in the optimum way to conserve Europe's surviving populations.

It also tested the hypothesis that each species of Maculinea species is a sensitive indicator of the richness of general biodiversity in the type of grassland it inhabits. We found both in theory and in practice that targeted management of sites for Maculinea results in predictable increases in the other declining wildlife characteristic of their communities.

Prof. Jeremy Thomas's pioneering work on the Large Blue butterfly is summarised in his article "On a Wing and a Prayer".

Read more about CEH's current Biodiversity research highlights and details of its collaborative research projects.

Related publications

Thomas, J.A., Simcox, D.J., Clarke, R.T. (2009) Successful conservation of a Maculinea butterfly. Science (in press)

Barbero, F, Thomas, J.A., Bonelli, S, Balletto, E, Schönrogge, K (2009) Queen ants make distinctive sounds that are mimicked by a butterfly social parasite. Science 323, 782-785.

Schönrogge, K., Napper, E.K.V., Birkett, M.A., Woodcock, C.M., Pickett, J.A., Wadhams, L.J., & Thomas, J.A. (2008) Host recognition by the specialist hoverfly Microdon mutabilis, a social parasite of the ant Formica lemani. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 34, 168-178.

Hovestadt, T., Mitesser, O., Elmes, G.W., Thomas, J.A., Hochberg, M.E. (2007) An ESS model for the evolution of dimorphic development strategies in the butterfly Maculinea rebeli, a social parasite of Myrmica ant colonies. American Naturalist 169, 466-480

Gardner, M.G., Schönrogge, K, Elmes, G.W., Thomas, J.A. (2007) Increased genetic diversity as a defence against parasites is undermined by social parasites: Microdon mutabilis hoverflies infesting Formica lemani ant colonies. Proc R Soc B 274, 103-110

Schönrogge, K., Gardner, M.G., Elmes, G.W., Napper, E.K.V., Simcox, D.J., Wardlaw, J.C., Breen, J., Barr, B., Knapp, J.J., Pickett, J.A., & Thomas, J.A. (2006) Host propagation permits extreme local adaptation in a social parasite of ants. Ecology Letters, 9, 1032-1040.

Mouquet, N., Thomas, J.A., Elmes, G.W., Clarke, R.T., Hochberg, M.E. (2005) Population dynamics and conservation of a highly specialised predator: A case study of Maculinea arion. Ecological Monographs 75, 525-542

Thomas, J.A. (2005) Monitoring change in the abundance and distribution of insects using butterflies and other indicator groups. Phil Trans R Soc B 360, 339-357

Thomas, J.A., Schönrogge, K., & Elmes, G.W. (2005). Specializations and host associations of social parasites of ants. In Insect Evolutionary Ecology (ed. by M.D.E. Fellowes, G.J. Holloway & J. Rolff), pp. 479 - 518. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK.

Schönrogge, K., Wardlaw, J.C., Peters, A.J., Everett, S., Thomas, J.A., & Elmes, G.W. (2004) Changes in chemical signature and host specificity from larval retrieval to full social integration in the myrmecophilous butterfly Maculinea rebeli. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 30, 91-107.

Thomas, J.A., & Settele, J. (2004) Butterfly mimics of ants. Nature 432: 283-284

Thomas, J.A., Clarke, R.T. (2004) Extinction rates and butterflies. Science 305: 1563-1564

Thomas, J.A., Telfer, M.G., Roy, D.B., Preston, C.D., Greenwood, J.J.D., Asher, J., Fox, R., Clarke, R.T., Lawton, J.H. (2004) Comparative losses of British butterflies, birds and plants and the global extinction crisis. Science 303: 1879-1881

Thomas, J.A., Knapp, J.J., Akino, T, Gerty, Wakamura, S., Simcox, D.Y., Wardlaw, J.C. & Elmes, G.W. (2002) Parasitoid secretions provoke ant warfare. Nature 417: 505-506

Schönrogge, K., Barr, B., Wardlaw, J.C., Napper, E., Gardner, M.G., Breen, J., Elmes, G.W., & Thomas, J.A. (2002) When rare species become endangered: cryptic speciation in myrmecophilous hoverflies. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 75, 291-300.

Akino, T., Knapp, J.J., Thomas, J.A., & Elmes, G.W. (1999) Chemical mimicry and host specificity in the butterfly Maculinea rebeli, a social parasite of Myrmica ant colonies. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B-Biological Sciences, 266, 1419-1426.