Editing Lepidoptera (section)

=== Mutualism ===

[[File:Tomato Hornworm Parasitized by Braconid Wasp.jpg|thumb|right|Tobacco hornworm caterpillar (''[[Manduca sexta]]'') parasitized by [[Braconidae]] wasp larvae]]

[[Mutualism (biology)|Mutualism]] is a form of [[biological interaction]] wherein each individual involved benefits in some way. An example of a mutualistic relationship would be that shared by [[Tegeticula|yucca moths]] (Tegeculidae) and their host, [[yucca|yucca flowers]] (Asparagaceae). Female yucca moths enter the host flowers, collect the pollen into a ball using specialized maxillary palps, then move to the apex of the pistil, where pollen is deposited on the stigma, and lay eggs into the base of the pistil where seeds will develop. The larvae develop in the fruit pod and feed on a portion of the seeds. Thus, both insect and plant benefit, forming a highly mutualistic relationship.<ref name="Resh and Carde"/>{{Rp|814}} Another form of mutualism occurs between some larvae of butterflies and certain species of [[ant]]s (e.g. [[Lycaenidae]]). The larvae communicate with the ants using vibrations transmitted through a substrate, such as the wood of a tree or stems, as well as using chemical signals.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1111/j.1096-3642.1988.tb01201.x |title=The larval ant-organs of ''Thisbe irenea'' (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae) and their effects upon attending ants |year=1988 |author=Devries, P. J. |journal=Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society |volume=94 |pages=379–393 |issue=4}}</ref> The ants provide some degree of protection to these larvae and they in turn gather [[Honeydew (secretion)|honeydew secretions]].<ref>{{cite journal |pmid=17733373 |date=Jun 1990 |author=Devries, Pj |title=Enhancement of Symbioses Between Butterfly Caterpillars and Ants by Vibrational Communication |volume=248 |issue=4959 |pages=1104–1106 |doi=10.1126/science.248.4959.1104 |journal=Science|bibcode = 1990Sci...248.1104D |s2cid=35812411 }}</ref>