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Other important findings from Weeks' research:

• Field experiments showed that ant tending provides the lycaenid butterfly with effective protection from parasitoid attack and enhanced larval survival. Lycaenids on plants from which ants were excluded were almost twice as likely to be parasitized as were lycaenids feeding on plants to which ants had access.
  
  

• Laboratory experiments demonstrated that altering the ratio of carbohydrate and protein resources available to ants influence their decision to participate in the mutualism with H. isola. Significantly more ants from colonies fed a low carbohydrate/high protein diet tended lycaenids relative to ants fed a high carbohydrate/low protein or high carbohydrate/high protein diet.

• Evidence suggests that the function of the tentacular organ signal is context-dependent and mediates lycaenid investment in the mutualism.
  
  
  

Next: Video clips of ant / lycaenid interactions.