science

Singing caterpillars

Singing caterpillars is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Singing caterpillars rather than just read about it. In short: Singing caterpillars is a term coined by Philip James DeVries, referring to the fact that the larvae of ant-associated butterfly species of the families Riodinidae and Lycaenidae produce substrate borne sounds that attract ants. The study of these symbiotic associations was pioneered by Phil DeVries in Central America, and Naomi Pierce in Australia.

Key takeaways

Singing caterpillars belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Singing caterpillars to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Singing caterpillars from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Singing caterpillars is a term coined by Philip James DeVries, referring to the fact that the larvae of ant-associated butterfly species of the families Riodinidae and Lycaenidae produce substrate borne sounds that attract ants. The study of these symbiotic associations was pioneered by Phil DeVries in Central America, and Naomi Pierce in Australia. Recently, Lucas Kaminski and collaborators are expanding the studies of riodinid-ant symbioses in Brazil. Ants that harvest plant secretions also form ecological associations with insects. Several species of such ants tend riodinid and lycaenid caterpillars, and also homopterans (aphids, plant hoppers and relatives). In doing so, ants protect them against potential predators – for example, wasps. Although both riodinid and lycaenid caterpillars attract ants and produce nutritious secretions to reward them, members of the two butterfly families have different structures to perform the same functions. Typically, ant-associated lycaenid larvae possess a single nectary organ located on the dorsum of the seventh abdominal segment, and a pair of tentacle organs on the eight abdominal segment. Ants imbibe the secretion produced by the nectary organ, and tentacle organs function in chemical communication between caterpillars and ants. The sounds produced by lycaenid caterpillars are similar to those produced by ants, an interesting cross species convergence which facilitates caterpillar-ant communication. Lycaenid caterpillars vary tremendously in their behaviors and level of association with ants. While some species feed on plant tissues, are free-living, and attract ants to their company, others are taken inside ant nests and are fed mouth-to-mouth by ants (trophallaxis), or consume ant brood without being molested. Ant-associated riodinids have a pair of tentacle nectary organs located dorsally on the eight abdominal segment that produce a secretion rich in sugars and amino acids. When present, anterior tentacle organs seem to release chemical signals to the ants, which in turn become very active. Some species also have balloon setae, inflated structures located on the first segment of the thorax (and projected over the head) that also seem to perform a function in chemical communication. Riodinids are known to make substrate borne sounds in two ways. While most singing riodinid caterpillars produce sound by scraping ribbed vibratory papillae against the rough surface of the head a few riodinids such as E. elvina, achieve the same effect by rubbing the cervical membrane (analogous to a neck) against the head. It has been demonstrated that caterpillars that produce calls are more successful at attracting ants than those of the same species that have been artificially "muted". Furthermore, caterpillars that are guarded by ants have increased survivorship from being effectively protected against predators.

Ecological associations that include the production of a reward are usually interpreted as mutualistic (both partners benefit), but singing caterpillars and their associated ants do not conform to the rule. Secretion-harvesting ants form ecological associations with secretion-producing plants, and typically defend their plant resources from herbivores. However, ant-associated caterpillars successfully wedged themselves between plants and ants: they feed on plant tissue and are nonetheless protected by patrolling ants. Caterpillar secretions have been shown to be more nutritious than those produced by plants, as demonstrated in Thisbe irenea caterpillars and their and Croton host plants; – an efficient way for caterpillars to ensure ant presence and prevent harassment. However, feeding a few individual ants has no measurable benefit to the ant colony as a whole. Caterpillars are actually appropriating individual ants for their own protection, and therefore stopping such ants from performing tasks that would benefit the colony. It could therefore be argued that caterpillar-ant symbioses do not constitute a mutualism as classically defined. Riodinid and lycaenid singing caterpillars are best categorized as ranging from commensal (one partner benefits while the other is not affected) to parasitic.

See also Bioacoustics Symbiosis Mutualism (biology)

References

External links Phil DeVries Web Page Caterpillars and Ants

Illustrations

Singing caterpillars: Nymphidium leucosia caterpillar being tended by Crematogaster ants, with detail of some of the structures that evolved in the context of caterpillar-ant associations. — Nymphidium leucosia caterpillar being tended by Crematogaster ants, with detail of some of the structures that evolved in the context of caterpillar-ant associations.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Singing caterpillars

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Singing caterpillars claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Singing caterpillars before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Singing caterpillars ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Singing caterpillars

In research: Singing caterpillars appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Singing caterpillars in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Singing caterpillars is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Animal communication, Lepidopterology, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Singing caterpillars outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Singing caterpillars” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Singing caterpillars in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Singing caterpillars means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Singing caterpillars out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Singing caterpillars in simple terms?

Why does Singing caterpillars matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Singing caterpillars?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Singing caterpillars.