Lycaenid caterpillars, including the rare frosted elfin, engage in symbiotic relationships with ants that protect them from predators in exchange for nutritive sugar secretions, but the costs and benefits of this interaction remain unclear. Using the common gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus) and Tetramorium ants as a model, we developed lab protocols to study the nutritional composition of caterpillar sugar rewards and assess potential delayed reproductive costs of secreting such a reward. Protocols developed in this study will be used to examine this interaction in the rare frosted elfin, and guide future research and management strategies aimed at promoting butterfly persistence in the face of environmental change.
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