Université de Fribourg

The effects of mutualistic ants on aphid life history traits

Flatt, Thomas ; Weisser, Wolfgang W.

In: Ecology, 2000, vol. 81, no. 12, p. 3522-3529

The relationship between homopterans and ants is generally thought to be mutualistic, as both partners seem to benefit from an association. In aphids, previous studies have shown that ant tending improves the survival and reproduction of aphid colonies, mainly by protection of aphids from enemy attack. However, the effects of ant tending on the fitness of individual aphids have rarely been...