Tag: Dew
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Argyrodes pluto is a species of cobweb spider and kleptoparasite
Argyrodes pluto is a species of cobweb spider in the family Theridiidae. It is found in the United States, Mexico, and Jamaica. Argyrodes, also called dewdrop spiders, is a genus of comb-footed spiders that was first described by Eugène Louis Simon in 1864. They occur worldwide, and are best known for their kleptoparasitism. They can spin their own webs, but tend to invade and reside in their hosts’ webs. This relationship…
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Plutus opal butterflies and black cocktail ants
Chrysoritis plutus, the Plutus opal, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae found only in South Africa. The wingspan is 24–28 mm for males and 26–35 mm for females. Flight period is two broods from August to December and January to April. Larvae feed on the Thesium species. Thesium is a genus of flowering plants in the family Santalaceae, sandalwoods, a widely distributed family of flowering plants (including small trees, shrubs, perennial herbs, and epiphytic climbers) which,…
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Ants and aphids
Some species of ants farm aphids, protecting them on the plants where they are feeding, and consuming the honeydew the aphids release from the terminations of their alimentary canals. This is a mutualistic relationship, with these dairying ants milking the aphids by stroking them with their antennae. Dairying ants also milk mealybugs and other insects. Although mutualistic, the feeding behaviour of aphids is altered by…
