Myrmica sabuleti

Fascinating facts about the Myrmica sabuleti

• Most Myrmica sabuleti colonies are polygynous, meaning they house multiple queens.
• A blue butterfly caterpillar hatches on wild thyme, then at its fourth-instar stage tricks the ants by copying their exact chemical scent and the faint sounds they use to recognize their own brood.
• The deceived workers carry the mimic into their nest, where it feeds on ant larvae for ten months before pupating.

At a glance

About the Myrmica sabuleti

Myrmica sabuleti is a species of ant in the genus Myrmica that is indigenous to Europe, and most colonies are polygynous. Caterpillars of the large blue butterfly (Phengaris arion) hatch on wild thyme buds and, at the fourth-instar stage, mimic the colony’s chemical scents and acoustic signals. The worker ants then carry the caterpillar to their nest, where it feeds on ant grubs for ten months before pupating and emerging as a butterfly.

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