ON THE POSSIBLE MYRMECOPHILY OF NEMOPTERINAE LARVAE (NEUROPTERA, NEMOPTERIDAE)

Field and laboratory studies of different species of Iberian ants with the eggs and larvae of Nemoptera bipennis and Lertha sofiae (Neuropte ra: Nemopteridae: Nemopterinae), suggest a previously unknown myrmecop hilous life-style in the larvae of this subfamily. A wide range of pot entially edaphic prey was offered to newly hatched larvae, but growth occurred only when ant larvae were used as food. Furthermore, ant work ers harvest its eggs, as though they were seeds, and introduce them in to their nest. Ant tolerance of larvae inside the nest is proved and d iscussed, and the acquisition of the colony odor or some other appease ment mechanisms against ants is suggested. Similarities in the ecologi cal requirements of the Nemopterinae imagoes and harvester ants have b een observed and a coevolutionary process among plants (as seed produc ers), nemopterines (as plant pollinator image and ant-predator larva) and ants (as seed harvesters and predator lodgers) is suggested.