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A trio of researchers with Kobe University in Japan has found that lycaenid butterfly caterpillars of the Japanese oakblue variety, have dorsal nectary organ secretions that cause ants that eat the material to abandon their fellow ants to instead hang out with and defend the caterpillar against enemies. In their paper published in the journal Current Biology, Masaru Hojo, Naomi Pierce and Kazuki Tsuji describe their research into the relationship between the two creatures and why they believe the nature of that relationship needs to be reclassified.
Scientists have studied Japanese oakblue butterflies before, noting that ants seem to guard the young caterpillars, but until now that relationship was described as reciprocal, both seemed to derive some benefit. The caterpillars got protection and the ants got a nice meal. Now however, according to this new research, the ants may not be willing partners.
(Score: 1) by NullPtr on Tuesday August 04 2015, @03:02PM
That's like saying a cup can't hold water because you could cut a hole in it and then it wouldn't be able to hold any water.
(Score: 2) by ikanreed on Tuesday August 04 2015, @03:03PM
No, I don't think it's much like that at all.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 04 2015, @06:26PM
A cup can't hold water because there is space between atoms.
(Score: 2) by Immerman on Wednesday August 05 2015, @09:39AM
So what? Pretty much the only times anything actually touches at an atomic scale you get fusion or fission. Very rare in most contexts. Atoms don't normally touch, their electron clouds simply interact through a combination of electrostatics and quantum wavefunction limitations.
But electrostatics are governed by the inverse square law, and the inverse square of atomic distances makes for some really large forces. Large enough that if you punch a brick wall the increase in electron repulsion as the distance shrinks will be so large and sudden that you'll imagine that there was actual physical contact involved in breaking your hand.