Butterfly larvae manipulate their ant attendants by secreting a nutritious and mind altering nectar to keep attendant ants close by for protection. Butterfly larvae can control dopamine secretion in ants by supplying them with nectar. Lycaenid butterflies and ants are representative examples of mutualism, in which different species benefit from the activities of the other. The larvae of lycaenid butterflies secrete a nectar rich in sugars and amino acids, thereby supplying ants with a source of nutrition, whereas the ants in turn protect the larvae from their natural enemies. The larvae possessed some mechanism to keep the ants from leaving.
