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The large blue butterfly (Maculinea arion - or Phengaris arion, depending on who you ask) is both beauty and the beast. Beauty because ... well, it's a pretty little butterfly, so what more could ask for? The beast because it's also such a master of deception, infiltration and carnivory it could be the antagonist in a sci fi horror movie.
So welcome to the world of a butterfly that is both parasite and predator, combining the tendencies of the cuckoo and the wolf. Oh, and it spends a chunk of its life pretending to be an ant.
Sometimes Nature's just plain weird ...
Shownotes at www.thewildepisode.com
Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future episodes, and e-mail your comments, complaints, corrections or encouragement to help make those future episodes better!
By Brian Ruckley5
7878 ratings
The large blue butterfly (Maculinea arion - or Phengaris arion, depending on who you ask) is both beauty and the beast. Beauty because ... well, it's a pretty little butterfly, so what more could ask for? The beast because it's also such a master of deception, infiltration and carnivory it could be the antagonist in a sci fi horror movie.
So welcome to the world of a butterfly that is both parasite and predator, combining the tendencies of the cuckoo and the wolf. Oh, and it spends a chunk of its life pretending to be an ant.
Sometimes Nature's just plain weird ...
Shownotes at www.thewildepisode.com
Subscribe to the show to make sure you don't miss any future episodes, and e-mail your comments, complaints, corrections or encouragement to help make those future episodes better!

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