APHID BETRAYAL. “We report an unprecedented aphid–ant interaction in which one of the two clonally produced root-dwelling morphs of the aphid Paracletus cimiciformis imitates the cuticular hydrocarbons of Tetramorium ant larvae, inducing ants to transport the aphids to their brood chamber, where they suck on ant larva hemolymph. To our knowledge, this strategy constitutes the first known case of aggressive mimicry in aphids.”
http://www.pnas.org/content/112/4/1101.full
linkedin post 2022-06-29 05:12:48
Nigel Fleming
September 21, 2022