The exploitation of parental care is common in avian and insect 'cuckoos' and these species engage in a coevolutionary arms race. Caterpillars of the lycaenid butterfly Niphanda fusca develop as parasites inside the nests of host ants (Camponotus japonicus) where they grow by feeding on the worker trophallaxis. We hypothesized that N. fusca caterpillars chemically mimic host larvae, or some par...

Many caterpillars have conspicuous eye-like markings, called eyespots. Despite recent work demonstrating the efficacy of eyespots in deterring predator attack, a fundamental question remains: Given their protective benefits, why have eyespots not evolved in more caterpillars? Using a phylogenetically controlled analysis of hawkmoth caterpillars, we show that eyespots are associated with large b...

The number, morphometric parameters and amount of aminergic neurosecretory product of protocerebral A2 neurosecretory neurons were investigated in the fifth instar of Lymantria dispar caterpillars, following a suitable or unsuitable trophic regime. Caterpillars originated from two populations (Quercus rubra or Robinia pseudoacacia forest) and were differently adapted to trophic stress, i.e. fee...

A new study reveals that an apparent mutualism between lycaenid caterpillars and their attendant ants may not be all it seems, as the caterpillars produce secretions that modify the brains and behavior of their attendant ants.

A connected component of a vertex-coloured graph is said to be colourful if all its vertices have different colours. By extension, components are colourful. Given G and an integer p, the Colourful Components problem asks whether there exist at most p edges whose removal makes Partition exists partition into components. In order refine our understanding complexity problems on trees, we study bot...