Success of aphid parasitoids and their hosts varies with ant attendance: A field study

Aphid–ant associations are often described as mutually beneficial interactions in which honeydew is traded for protection from predators and parasitoids. The aim of the present study was to determine parasitization avoidance in ant‐tended aphid colonies. Field experiments were carried out on two hos...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Entomological science 2018-12, Vol.21 (4), p.406-411
Main Authors: Sadeghi‐Namaghi, Hussein, Amiri‐Jami, Alireza
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acyrthosiphon gossypii
Ants
Aphididae
aphidiine wasps
Brachycaudus cardui
Braconidae
Colonies
Crematogaster sordidula
Entomology
Field tests
Growth rate
Honeydew
Host plants
Host-parasite interactions
Interactions
Lasius turcicus
Lepidium
mutualism
Parasitism
Population growth
Predators
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Summary:Aphid–ant associations are often described as mutually beneficial interactions in which honeydew is traded for protection from predators and parasitoids. The aim of the present study was to determine parasitization avoidance in ant‐tended aphid colonies. Field experiments were carried out on two host plants: hoary cress Lepidium draba (Brassicaceae) and Canadian teasel Cirsium arvense (Asteraceae). Lepidium was host to Acyrthosiphon gossypii (Aphididae) tended by the ant Lasius turcicus (Formicidae) and attacked by two parasitoids, Trioxys asiaticus (Braconidae) and Lysiphlebus fabarum (Braconidae). Cirsium was host to Brachycaudus cardui tended by Crematogaster sordidula and attacked by L. fabarum and Aphidius colemani (Braconidae). The per capita population growth rate of A. gossypii was significantly higher in the presence of ants, while B. cardui was negatively affected, albeit non‐significantly. The parasitism rate of A. gossypii decreased significantly when tended by Lasius turcicus, but the presence of Crematogaster sordidula in colonies of B. cardui significantly increased parasitism. Our results indicate that the effects of ant attendance vary between different aphid–ant interactions. Moreover, parasitoids can benefit from the presence of ants under some conditions. Effects of ant attendance on the population increasing rate and the parasitism rate differ between two aphid species, Acyrthosiphon gossypii and Brachycaudus cardui.
ISSN:1343-8786
1479-8298
DOI:10.1111/ens.12319