Question

Alcon blue butterflies spend the first part of their lives as caterpillars that live with Myrmica ants. When a caterpillar lives with the ants, it pretends to be a Queen ant by making noises that make it sound like the Queen ant. Queen ants receive more food and better protection than any other ants in the nest. When the caterpillar mimics a Queen ant, the ants feed and protect the caterpillar instead of other ants in the nest. Which word best describes the relationship between the caterpillar and ants

Answer 1

The correct answer is - parasitic.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Maculinea Alcon butterfly has a unique relationship with species of Myrmica ants. The butterfly's caterpillars picked up by passing Myrmica ants, and take to their nests where this caterpillar makes sounds like the queen ants, and to this sound, all ants protect and feed this caterpillar instead of other ants.

Normally there is a mutualistic relationship between ants and caterpillars but in the case of The Maculinea Alcon caterpillar and Myrmica ants, there is a parasitic relationship.