?? Phengaris alcon or the Alcon blue is a protected species in France. This butterfly has a complex life cycle involving a specific host plant Gentiana pneumonanthe and Myrmica ants. In summer, females lay eggs on host plant. The caterpillar then feeds on this plant and after the last moult, it drops to the ground. Myrmica ants then take the caterpillar to their nest. Underground, larval life continues in ants nest and caterpillar feeds on brood of their hostesses, winters and turns into a chrysalis. To be tolerated in anthill, caterpillar exudes a nutritive secretion made up of a mixture of chemical substances. In summer, butterflies hatch and crawl along galleries to open their wings before spreading. At this stage individuals of both sexes meet to mate … a new cycle can then begin!
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