Relationship between Aphis gossypii (Homoptera: Aphididae) and sticky lint in cotton

The study was conducted in the northern Texas Rolling Plains in 1999 to define the relationship between number of cotton aphids, Aphis gossypii Glover, and resulting contamination of cotton lint by honeydew. Whole-plot treatments were three furrow irrigation management treatments: cotton grown without supplemental irrigation (dryland), irrigated cotton with last irrigation in mid August, and irrigated cotton with last irrigation in late August. Subplots within each irrigation treatment included an untreated check, a plot treated with lambda-cyhalothrin to stimulate aphid population increase, a plot treated with lambda-cyhalothrin followed by pymetrozine after aphids began to increase, and a plot treated with lambda-cyhalothrin followed by thiamethoxam after aphids began to increase. Cotton aphids were counted on leaves picked from the top and bottom half of the plant. Cotton lint was analyzed for contamination by glucose, fructose, sucrose, and melezitose secreted by cotton aphids, and percentage leaf moisture and nitrogen and leaf sucrose concentrations were determined. The manual sticky cotton thermodetector was used to determine degree of lint stickinesss. There was a significant relationship between thermodetector counts and melezitose contamination on lint, and a melezitose concentration of 90.9 microg/g of lint was associated with a thermodetector count of 10, the threshold for sticky lint problems in textile mills. An equation was developed to estimate melezitose concentration on lint as a function of average numbers of aphids per leaf and the interaction between percentage leaf moisture and nitrogen. The number of aphids per leaf associated with a melezitose concentration of 90.9 microg/g of lint ranged from 11.1 to 50.1, depending on percentage leaf moisture and nitrogen. The threshold for sticky lint problems occurred when aphid numbers ranged between 11.1 and 50.1 per leaf after bolls open.     

The effect of barley yellow dwarf virus on honeydew production by the cereal aphids, Sitobion avenae and Metopolophium dirhodum

Individual S. avenae and M. dirhodum excreted significantly fewer droplets of honeydew on plants infected with BYDV than on healthy plants. S. avenae excreted less honeydew on the ears than on the leaves of wheat. M. dirhodum excreted less than S. avenae on the leaves. The size of honeydew droplets increased with the age of aphids but was not affected by BYDV infection. Possible reasons for the observed effects of BYDV on honeydew excretion are discussed.     

Flexibility in the composition and concentration of amino acids in honeydew of the drepanosiphid aphid Tuberculatus quercicola

Abstract 1. Mutualistic interactions between aphids and ants are mediated by honeydew that aphids produce. Previous work showed that when attended by the ant Formica yessensis Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), nymphs of the aphid Tuberculatus quercicola (Matsumura) (Homoptera: Aphididae) developed into significantly smaller adults with lower fecundity than did nymphs that were not ant attended.
2. This study tested the hypothesis that this cost of ant attendance arises through changes in the quality and quantity of honeydew. Ant-attended and ant-excluded aphid colonies were prepared in the field. The composition and concentration of amino acids were compared between the honeydew produced by ant-attended colonies and that produced by ant-excluded colonies.
3. The aphids excreted smaller droplets of honeydew, but also excreted them more frequently, in ant-attended colonies than in ant-excluded colonies. The honeydew of ant-attended aphids contained more types of amino acid, and a significantly higher total concentration of amino acids, than did the honeydew of ant-excluded aphids.
4. These results suggest that the increase in the concentration of amino acids in honeydew leads to a shortage of nitrogen available for aphid growth and reproduction, resulting in lower performance under ant attendance.
5. With the advance of seasons, a significant reduction was found in both the total free amino acid concentration in phloem sap and the frequency of honeydew excretion; however the total concentration of amino acids in the honeydew did not vary significantly during the seasons, suggesting that aphids keep the quality of honeydew constant in order to maintain ant visitation.     

Olfactory response by the aphidophagous gall midge, Aphidoletes aphidimyza to honeydew from green peach aphid, Myzus persicae

Female adults of the aphidopagous gall midge, Aphidoletes aphidimyza (Rondani) (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), showed an olfactory response to honeydew excreted by the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) under laboratory conditions. The response was only elicited by treatments with honeydew, whereas aphids, aphids with pepper plants or leaves, and pepper plants or leaves were not attractive to the midges. Dose‐dependent responses were observed from whole honeydew, honeydew volatiles extracted in pentane, and honeydew volatiles captured on Porapak Q®. When honeydew was eluted with three sequential pentane washes, a positive response was only observed from the midges for the first wash. Female midges laid more eggs on pepper plants infested with higher densities of M. persicae. The olfactory response of midges to honeydew is discussed with respect to prey location.     

The effect on Aphis fabae of diel changes in their food quality

ABSTRACT. Marked diurnal changes in total soluble carbohydrates were found in broad bean leaves, with a maximum of c. 11% of dry weight at 18.00 hours to a minimum of c. 4% at 06.00 hours. If reflected in the phloem sap, this would mean that aphids receive different food from plants by night and by day. The growth rate of Aphis fabae was therefore compared on broad bean plants under light and darkness. Although the aphids showed the same mean gross growth rate under both conditions, those in the dark had a higher final percentage moisture content, their dry weight increase being negligible. Counts of honeydew droplets on a 'honeydew clock' indicated a reduction in excretion during the dark. Measurements of haemolymph concentration of Acyrthosiphon pisum were obtained by comparison of haemolymph vapour pressure with that of known sucrose solutions, using capillary tubes. Haemolymph samples collected at the end of the day showed a higher (mean 11.53 atm) and more variable osmotic pressure than those obtained at the end of the night (mean 8.62 atm). The more dilute sap in the plant at night may benefit the aphid by allowing it to compensate for osmotic stress incurred during daytime feeding. These results suggest that the diurnal change in total soluble carbohydrates in leaves of the broad bean is reflected in the phloem sap.     

The influence of black bean aphid, Aphis fabae Scop., and its honeydew on the photosynthesis of sugar beet

The effect of black bean aphids on the photosynthesis of sugar beet plants was studied under glasshouse and field conditions. The presence of up to several hundred aphids per leaf had no significant effect on CO₂ exchange rates over a range of light intensities between complete darkness and light saturation. Artificially prepared honeydew, sprayed onto leaves in the same amounts and composition as was found on severely aphid-infested plants, covered 30% of the stomata on the upper epidermis but did not significantly alter the rate of photosynthesis of these leaves in the light or the rate of respiration in the dark. The stomata on the lower epidermis were uncovered and functional. High pressure liquid chromatography of aphid-produced honeydew detected 20 different amino-acids. Three amino-acids, aspartic acid, glutamic acid and gluta-mine, made up the bulk of the amino-acid weight in the honeydew produced on young plants, up till the 8 leaf-stage. In the 10 to 12 leaf-stage, several different amino-acids occurred in substantial amounts. The amino-acids to sugars ratio of the honeydew produced by the aphids decreased strongly as the sugar beet plants aged: from 1:6 in plants with 3 or 4 leaves to 1:25 in plants having 10 to 12 leaves.     

Aphid Honeydew Quality as a Food Source for Parasitoids Is Maintained in Bt Cotton

Bt-transgenic cotton has proven to be highly efficient in controlling key lepidopteran pests. One concern with the deployment of Bt cotton varieties is the potential proliferation of non-target pests. We previously showed that Bt cotton contained lower concentrations of insecticidal terpenoids as a result of reduced caterpillar damage, which benefited the aphid Aphis gossypii. It is thus important that non-target herbivores are under biological control in Bt cotton fields. The induction or lack of induction of terpenoids could also influence the quality of aphid honeydew, an important food source for beneficial insects. We therefore screened A. gossypii honeydew for cotton terpenoids, that are induced by caterpillars but not the aphids. We then tested the influence of induced insect-resistance of cotton on honeydew nutritional quality for the aphid parasitoid Lysiphlebus testaceipes and the whitefly parasitoid Eretmocerus eremicus. We detected the cotton terpenoids gossypol and hemigossypolone in A. gossypii honeydew. Although a feeding assay demonstrated that gossypol reduced the longevity of both parasitoid species in a non-linear, dose-dependent manner, the honeydew was capable of sustaining parasitoid longevity and reproduction. The level of caterpillar damage to Bt and non-Bt cotton had no impact on the quality of honeydew for the parasitoids.These results indicate that the nutritional quality of honeydew is maintained in Bt cotton and is not influenced by induced insect resistance.     

Cotton TCTP1 gene encoding a translationally controlled tumor protein participates in plant response and tolerance to aphids

Cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii Glover) is one of the most important economic pests in the world. Long-term unreasonable usage of insecticides has made cotton aphid developing insecticide-resistance, which frequently leads to serious occurrences of cotton aphid in many regions. It is regarded effective and environmentally friendly to control aphids through utilizing plant resistance. In this study, a translationally controlled tumor protein gene, GhTCTP1, was isolated in cotton. It belongs to TCTP subfamily and encodes a protein of 168 amino acids. GhTCTP1 expression was suppressed in cotton plants under cotton aphid attack, but its expression level was up-regulated in the wounded cotton leaves. The choice test and no-choice test demonstrated that overexpression of GhTCTP1 in Arabidopsis enhanced plant resistance to green peach aphid (Myzus persicae). Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that the defense response genes related to salicylic acid signaling pathway were activated in the GhTCTP1 overexpressing transgenic plants. Content of total amino acids was decreased, and phenylalanine ammonialyase activity was altered in leaves of the transgenic Arabidopsis plants, compared with those in wild type. Furthermore, the callose amount in transgenic Arabidopsis leaves was more than that of wild type. These data suggested that GhTCTP1 might be involved in regulation of plant tolerance to aphids, and can be potentially applied in improving aphid-resistance of crops by genetic manipulation.     

Rhythm of honeydew excretion by the tea aphid and its attraction to various natural enemies

The rhythm of honeydew excretion by the tea aphid Toxoptera aurantii (Boyer) and its attraction to following 9 species (or subspecies) of beneficial insects, Aphidius sp., Chrysopa sinica Tjeder, Chrysopa septempunctata Wesmael, Sphaerophoria menthastri L., Coccinella septempunctata L., Leis axyridis (Pallas) ab. bimaculata Hemmelmann, L. axyridis (Pallas) ab. conspicua Faldermaenn, L. axyridis (Pallas) var. spectabilis Faldermaenn and L. axyridis (Pallas) var. novemdecimpunctata Faldermaenn, were investigated. Forty-five wingless virginoparae nymphs, reproduced by the same wingless virginogenia adult within 1 h, were introduced onto tea seedlings with one aphid per seedling. The honeydews excreted from different instars of nymphs and adults were collected under 21°C, 85% RH, 3500 lx and 12 L:12 D photoperiod. It took 32.4 d ±5.8 d for the tested tea aphids to complete the development of their nymph and adult stages, during which 325.6±35.8 droplets (ca. 41.98 μl ±6.14 μl and 45.34 mg ± 8.76 mg) of honeydews were secreted. During the 1st and 4th instars, there was a logistic regression relationship between the amount of honeydews excreted and the time (days). The honeydew secretion during the first two instars was less than that from the later instars. Adult aphids survived for 22.0 d ± 0.0 d, and excreted 176.31 ± 22.38 droplets (ca. 30.38 μl ± 5.32 μl) of honeydews in a rate of 1 drop per ca. 30–50 min for 5–8 h with a pause for 2–5 h before next secretion series. A batch of forty-five virginoparae female adults, reproduced by the same virginoparae female adult within 1 h, were introduced onto the tea seedlings (one aphid/seedling) under 13–21°, 85% RH, 3500 lx and 12 L:12 D photoperiod. Temperature showed a significant effect on the amounts of honeydews excreted within the range of 13–21°. Honeydews excreted by the aphids significantly increased the searching and retention time of the tested 9 species of natural enemies in a positive dose-response fashion. The searching times of Aphidius sp. and S. menthastri were the longest and the shortest, respectively, among all the 9 species, while the searching and retention time of L. axyridis (Pallas) var. spectabilis was the longest among the four varieties of L. axyridis. Tea aphid oneydew is considered as an important contact kairomone for the tested natural enemies.     

The influence of aphid-produced honeydew on parasitoid fitness and nutritional state: A comparative study

Honeydew is a sugar-rich resource excreted by many hemipteran species and is a key food source for other insect species such as ants and parasitoid wasps. Here, we evaluated the nutritional value of 14 honeydews excreted by 13 aphid species for the generalist aphid parasitoid Lysiphlebus testaceipes to test a series of hypotheses concerning variation in the nutritional value of honeydew. There was a positive correlation between the body sugar content of honeydew-fed parasitoids and their longevity. This information is valuable for biological control researchers because it demonstrates that the nutritional state of honeydew-fed parasitoids in the wild can indicate their fitness, independently of the honeydew source they have fed on.Although the carbohydrate content and longevity of L. testaceipes differed greatly among the different honeydews, we did not find a significant effect of aphid or host plant phylogeny on these traits. This result suggests that honeydew is evolutionarily labile and may be particularly subject to ecological selection pressures. This becomes apparent when considering host aphid suitability: Schizaphis graminum, one of the most suitable and commonly used hosts of L. testaceipes, produced honeydew of the poorest quality for the parasitoid whereas Uroleucon sonchi, one of the few aphids tested that cannot be parasitized by L. testaceipes, excreted the honeydew with the highest nutritional value. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that hemipterans are subject to selection pressure to minimize honeydew quality for the parasitoids that attack them.     

A diverse assemblage of moths feeding on aphid honeydew

Adult butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera) use their proboscises to feed on flower nectar and other types of liquid food. Aphids frequently secrete honeydew from their anuses, attracting various types of insects, such as ants. Adult lepidopterans are also known to feed on aphid honeydew. However, very few studies have clarified the species composition and morphology of moths feeding on aphid honeydew. In late June 2017, we found nocturnal moths sipping honeydew secreted by Shivaphis celti and Sitobion cornifoliae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on leaves of Celtis sinensis (Cannabaceae) and Cornus kousa (Cornaceae), respectively, at the edge of a secondary forest in central Japan. The moths were observed to uncoil their proboscises and feed on honeydew on the leaves. No moths were observed to feed on honeydew directly from aphids. Nocturnal moths of 60 species (11 families) and 16 species (7 families) were collected from honeydew on Ce. sinensis and Co. kousa leaves, respectively. Eleven moth species were shared between the two types of honeydew. The most abundant species, Oncocera semirubella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), accounted for 44.7% of all individuals. The sex ratio of O. semirubella was female biased. Of the 65 moth species collected on aphid honeydew, 52.3% (34 species) have been previously reported to visit flowers. Moths visiting honeydew had relatively short proboscises and small body size. These results suggest that aphid honeydew is an important, accessible food resource for moths of small size.     

Changes in photosynthetic and transpiration rates of cotton leaves infested with the cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii: Unrestricted infestation

The influence of aphid, Aphis gossypii, feeding on photosynthesis and transpiration in cotton plants was investigated under greenhouse conditions. Four population densities of 0, 5, 10, and 25 aphids were used to infest individual cotton leaves. Gas exchange rates were determined for single attached cotton leaves after 9, 18, and 27 days of aphid infestation. Aphid feeding changed photosynthetic rates and transpiration rates. These changes were proportional to the number of aphids and the length of infestation period. Photosynthetic rates were significantly reduced in infested leaves with 25 aphids over 18 days, whereas significant reduction in photosynthetic rates was recorded within 27 days in infested leaves with 5, 10, and 25 aphids in comparison to their respective control. Initial population of 10 aphids increased significantly the transpiration rate of infested leaves over 9 and 27 days. Leaves of plants with 25 aphids had significantly greater transpiration rate than the control at all times.     

The importance of honeydew as food for larvae of Chrysoperla carnea in the presence of aphids

Larvae of the common green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea are predacious and feed on a wide range of small, soft‐bodied arthropods. In addition to their feeding on prey arthropods to cover their nutritional requirements for growth and development, the consumption of non‐prey foods such as honeydew has been reported. It is commonly believed that these food supplements are primarily exploited by the larvae when prey is scarce or of low nutritional quality. Here, we assess whether C. carnea larvae also use honeydew when high‐quality aphid prey are readily available. In a choice experiment, the feeding behaviour of C. carnea larvae was observed in the presence of both aphids and honeydew. The larvae were starved, aphid‐fed, or honeydew‐fed prior to the experiment. The time spent feeding on honeydew compared with feeding on aphids was highest for starved larvae and lowest for honeydew‐fed larvae. Among the three treatments, the aphid‐fed larvae spent the most time resting and the least time searching. In an additional experiment food intake was assessed in terms of weight change when larvae were provided with an ad libitum supply of either aphids or honeydew. Larvae yielded a significant lower relative weight increase on honeydew compared with aphids. The reduced weight increase on honeydew was compensated when larvae were subsequently provided with aphids, but not when honeydew was provided again. This study showed that (i) prior honeydew feeding reduces overall aphid consumption, and (ii) larvae do consume honeydew even after they have been given ad libitum access to aphids. The fact that larvae of C. carnea still use honeydew as a food source in the presence of suitable prey underlines the importance of carbohydrates as foods.     

Influence of climatic and nutritional factors on yeast population dynamics in the phyllosphere of wheat

The role of saprophytic phyllosphere yeasts in removing aphid honeydew and other nutrients from wheat leaves was evaluated in growth cabinet experiments at different temperatures and relative humidities. Population densities of both pink and white yeasts (Sporobolomyces roseus and Cryptococcus laurentii, respectively) increased between 12 and 24°C, if nutrients were supplied. White yeast numbers increased rapidly at a constant vapor pressure deficit (VPD) of 0.10 kPa and alternating VPDs of 0.10 and 0.61 kPa (each 12 hours per day) but decreased at a constant VPD of 0.61 kPa. In growth cabinet experiments with aphids on wheat plants, the amount of aphid honeydew on the leaves was lower when yeast population densities were high. Addition of amino acids to leaves with honeydew had no effect on yeast population density or the rate of honeydew consumption. This indicated that low concentrations of amino acids in aphid honeydew are not a limiting factor for honeydew consumption by the yeasts. The naturally occurring saprophytes efficiently removed fructose, sucrose, and melezitose from the phyllosphere of field-grown wheat plants.     

The influence of facultative endosymbionts on honeydew carbohydrate and amino acid composition of the black bean aphid Aphis fabae

The facultative endosymbionts Hamiltonella defensa and Regiella insecticola are commonly found in aphids. They are linked with various ecological benefits but generally occur at low prevalence, which indicates a possible harbouring cost. Little is known about how the presence of facultative endosymbionts is reflected in honeydew composition. Honeydew is the key mediator of the mutualism between aphids and their tending ants. The present study examines whether endosymbionts have an influence on aphid honeydew quality by comparing the amino acid and carbohydrate concentrations between infected and uninfected aphids. To this end, two genetic lines of the aphid Aphis fabae Scopoli are experimentally infected with different strains of Hamiltonella and Regiella. Infected aphids are shown to have reduced concentrations of amino acids in the honeydew compared with uninfected aphids. However, the presence of endosymbionts has no effect on the absolute amount of carbohydrates produced. Nevertheless, interclonal variation in honeydew composition between aphid genotypes is observed for both carbohydrate and amino acid production. These results imply that the nutritional value of honeydew depends on aphid genotype, as well as on the presence of secondary bacterial endosymbionts, which suggests that there is a physiological cost of harbouring endosymbionts and which could also impact aphid attractiveness to tending ants.     

Alfalfa cyclitols in the honeydew of an aphid

The free cyclitols pinitol, ononitol and myo-inositol occur in the honeydew (excreta) of pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) which feed on pea aphid-susceptible alfalfa (Medicago sativa cv Caliverde). These cyclitols also occur in the leaves and stems of alfalfa. Aphids were incapable of de novo synthesis of these cyclitols. Honeydew production by the pea aphid results from ingesting phloem-sap, so the occurrence of cyclitols in honeydew results from their translocation in the phloem. The relatively high content of myo-inositol in honeydew indicates that it is selectively translocated. The most abundant alfalfa cyclitol, pinitol, had no effect on aphid feeding behavior at concentrations up to 1% (w/v; artificial diet).     

Amino acids as respiratory substrates in aphids: an analysis of Aphis fabae reared on plants and diets

Abstract. The fate of radioactively labelled amino acids injected into the haemolymph of the aphid Aphis fabae was investigated. Radioactivity from each of L-[U-¹⁴C]-glutamic acid, L-[U-¹⁴C]-serine and L-[U-¹⁴C]-threonine in the aphid tissues declined exponentially, at rates of 32, 9.3 and 1.0 pmol/aphid/min, respectively. For ¹⁴C-glutamic acid, radioactivity lost from the aphids was recovered quantitatively as carbon dioxide, and radioactivity in aphid saliva and honeydew was undetectable. When expressed on a per unit aphid biomass basis, the rate of respiratory loss of glutamic acid from aphids reared on chemically-defined diets was more than double that of aphids reared on the host plant, Vicia faba . It is concluded that respiration is a quantitatively important component to the aphid metabolism of glutamic acid and other amino acids.     

How an ant decides to prey on or to attend aphids

The following results on the behavior decision making of the antLasius niger toward two species of myrmecophilous aphidsLachnus tropicalis andMyzocallis kuricola on chestnut trees have been found. (1) An individual worker consistently attended only one aphid species, even if her nestmates attended other aphid species on the same tree. (2) The ants preyed less on the aphid species which they attended than on other myrmecophilous aphid species. (3) The ants preyed less on the aphids which had been attended by their nestmates, even if both aphids were the same species. (4) The ants preyed less on aphids which had provided honeydew to their nestmates. (5) The increased aphid density per ant led to an increase in the rate of predation on the introduced aphids by the ants. These results suggest that each worker ofL. niger chooses aphid species to attend from her experience. In addition, the workers can recognize whether an aphid has been attended by their nestmates and whether an aphid has given their nestmates honeydew. Through these processes, each worker decides to attend or to prey on the aphid. As a result, they may realize efficient collective foraging dependent on aphid density per worker.     

The impact of Meu1-mediated resistance in tomato on longevity, fecundity and behavior of the potato aphid, Macrosiphum euphorbiae

The effect of the tomato resistance gene, Meu1, on feeding, longevity, fecundity and developmental rate of the pink biotype of the potato aphid, Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas) (Hemiptera, Aphididae), was determined using nearly isogenic tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill, Solanaceae) lines. Aphid mortality was significantly higher on resistant plants, with 60% of the aphids dying by the 4th day of exposure. By the 10th day, all the aphids on the resistant plants were dead whereas 100% of the aphids on susceptible plants were alive. Meu1-mediated resistance resulted in significantly decreased fecundity with a ten-fold decrease in the net fertility rate (4.5 and 45.7 progeny per aphid on resistant and susceptible tomato, respectively). A qualitative analysis showed that honeydew was produced by aphids on resistant and susceptible plants, suggesting that aphids initiate feeding on both plant types. However, significantly lower quantities of honeydew were present when aphids were caged on resistant plants. There were also significant differences in aphid location on resistant and susceptible leaves. Experiments evaluating behavior in less than 24 h showed that aphids left resistant leaves after relatively short exposure (3–6 h). Aphids transferred from resistant to susceptible tomato at intervals between 3 h and 24 h resumed feeding as evidenced by presence of honeydew. Although the mechanism by which Meu1-mediated resistance operates is not yet known, our data suggest that resistance factors act rapidly after initiation of feeding and that lower fecundity and longevity are related to reduction in aphid feeding.     

Density-dependent predation of the antLasius niger (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on two attended aphidsLachnus tropicalis andMyzocallis kuricola (Homoptera: Aphididae)

The antLasius niger was observed collecting honeydew and preying on the two aphid speciesLachnus tropicalis andMyzocallis kuricola on the chestnut treesCastanea crenata. Observation determined how the antL. niger controlled their predation on the aphids in response to the density and honeydew-productivity of the aphids.Lachnus tropicalis was a better honeydew source thanM. kuricola forL. niger in terms of the amount of honeydew collected per unit time by the ants. The number of foraging workers on a tree increased with the number ofL. tropicalis on the tree, but not with the number ofM. kuricola. The density ofL. tropicalis perL. niger worker on a tree had a positive effect on the predation activity ofL. niger on both aphids, whereas the density ofM. kuricola per ant did not have any significant effect. The predation pressure by the ant which increased withL. tropicalis density, however, directed toM. kuricola rather than toL. tropicalis. These facts suggest (1) thatL. niger control their predation activities on aphids with regards to the densities of the attended aphids per worker, and (2) that the ants prey on the aphid species producing less honeydew. The effects of the ant predation on aphids and the importance of these predation effect in antaphids interactions were discussed.