Phengaris rebeli (formerly Maculinea rebeli), common name mountain Alcon blue,[1] is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It was first found and described in Styria, Austria, on Mount Hochschwab around 1700.[2] Although it was initially classified as a subspecies of P. alcon, a European researcher, Lucien A. Berger, designated it as a separate species in 1946. Genetic similarities between P. rebeli and P. alcon have led many researchers to argue that the two are the same species and differences are due to intraspecific variation.[2]
Although P. rebeli is found across the Palearctic (see subspecies), it is difficult to determine the species' precise range due to confusion with P. alcon.[3]
Behavioral ecologists have found its role as a brood parasite to be of particular interest as, unlike many brood parasites, it does not directly oviposit in the hosts' nests. P. rebeli parasitizes the colony ant species Myrmica schencki as a larva by using chemical mimicry to trick the ants into believing that they are ant larvae; thus, the ants bring P. rebeli caterpillars back to their nests and feed them.[4]P. rebeli is dependent on the plant Gentiana cruciata early in its life cycle[5] and is vulnerable to parasitism by Ichneumon eumerus while inside the nest of M. schencki.[6] It was placed on the IUCN Red List in 2000 and is classified as a species vulnerable to extinction.[7]
^ abSteiner, F; Schlick-Steiner B.C., Hçttinger H., Nikiforov A., Moder K. and Christian E. (2006). "Maculinea alcon and M. rebeli (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) – one or two alcon blues? Larval cuticular compounds and egg morphology of East Austrian populations". Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien. 107B: 165–180. JSTOR 41767345.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Steiner, F.M; B.C . Schlick-Steiner, H . Höttinger 1, A . Nikiforov, K . Moder & E . Christian (2006). "Geographical versus food plant differentiation in populations of Maculinea alcon (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) in Northern Hungary" (PDF). Ann. Naturhist. Mus. Wien. 107B: 165–180. Retrieved 23 October 2013.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^Akino, T; JJ Knapp; JA Thomas; GW Elmes (1999). "Chemical mimicry and host specificity in the butterfly Maculinea rebeli, a social parasite of Myrmica ant colonies". Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 266 (1427): 1419–1426. doi:10.1098/rspb.1999.0796. PMC 1690087.
^Kéry, M; Matthies, D & Fischer, M (2001). "The effect of plant population size on the interactions between the rare plant Gentiana cruciata and its specialized herbivore Maculinea rebeli". Journal of Ecology. 89 (3): 418–427. Bibcode:2001JEcol..89..418K. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2745.2001.00550.x. S2CID 73568263.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Hochberg, M; Elmes, G. W.; Thomas, J. A.; Clarke, R. T (1996). "Mechanisms of local persistence in coupled host-parasitoid associations: the case model of Maculinea rebeli and Ichneumon eumerus". Philosophical Transactions: Biological Sciences. 351 (1348): 1713–1724. Bibcode:1996RSPTB.351.1713H. doi:10.1098/rstb.1996.0153.
^Cite error: The named reference macreb was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
Phengarisrebeli (formerly Maculinea rebeli), common name mountain Alcon blue, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It was first found...
species (Gentiana pneumonanthe in the case of Phengaris alcon and Gentiana cruciata in the case of Phengarisrebeli). The species can be seen flying in mid-...
(660–5,250 ft) above sea level. Phengarisrebeli is an endangered butterfly which feeds upon G. cruciata. Female P. rebeli lay their eggs on the upper side...
blue butterfly (Phengarisrebeli). The life cycle of I. eumerus is dependent on a butterfly, the mountain Alcon blue (Phengarisrebeli), the larvae of...
are indistinguishable to the ant. Larvae of the mountain Alcon blue, Phengarisrebeli, similarly mimic Myrmica ants and feed on their brood. The parasitoid...
another species into their own nests, as with the parasitic butterfly, Phengarisrebeli, and the host ant Myrmica schencki. The butterfly larvae release chemicals...
blue butterfly are speckled with black dots.[citation needed] Phengaris arion ♂ Phengaris arion ♂ △ Gynandromorph L. arion L. (83 c). Larger, above of...
Entomologischen Vereins). Hans Hirschke described Alcis bastelbergeri and Phengarisrebeli in Jber. Wien. ent. Ver. Nonveiller, G. 1999: The Pioneers of the research...
relationship between the species Ichneumon eumerus and its host butterfly Phengarisrebeli. The butterfly larva is a parasite within Myrmica ant nests. The adult...
carnivorous, and others are even parasitic. Some lycaenid species such as Phengarisrebeli are social parasites of Myrmica ant nests. A species of Geometridae...
Phengaris nausithous ♂ Phengaris nausithous ♂ △ Scarce large blue Phengaris teleius Mountain Alcon blue Phengarisrebeli Alcon large blue Phengaris alcon...
food. Another example of a brood parasite is Phengaris butterflies such as Phengarisrebeli and Phengaris arion, which differ from the cuckoo in that the...
developmental rates seen in the Phengarisrebeli, in which there exist slow-developing larvae (SDL) (75% of the total P. rebeli larval population) and fast-developing...
mechanism is chemical mimicry, as seen in the parasitic butterfly Phengarisrebeli, which parasitizes the ant species Myrmica schencki by releasing chemicals...
documented in ants.[citation needed] M. schencki is parasitized by Phengarisrebeli larvae, which release chemicals that trick the ants into believing...
Eight protected and five endangered species were observed, for example phengarisrebeli, large copper, brown argus, plebejus argyrognomon, silver-washed fritillary...
Eros blue (Polyommatus eroides), mountain Alcon blue (Phengarisrebeli), large blue (Phengaris arion), scarce tortoiseshell (Nymphalis xanthomelas), Titania's...
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