Name: ___________________________ Student number:_________________

Year and Course

Laboratory Exercise No. 3
Mutualistic Relationship between Ants and Aphids, their Predators and Host Plants

Overview

Muller-Schwarze (2009) noted that aphids do extract sap from the stems of plants, through the phloem
tissues., thereby excreting honeydew. Meanwhile, ants gather these honeydews for their consumption. In return, ants
guard the aphids against their predators by preying on the coccinellids such as ladybird beetles. Moreover, ants
shelter the aphids or their eggs, bringing these to the ant’s nests during extreme weather conditions. In addition, if
honeydew is not fed upon, aphid colonies becomes contaminated. The main purpose of this exercise study is to
determine the role of ants in the life of aphids, together with their predator/s and host plant, focusing on their
interspecific behaviors.

Procedure

1. Search for an aphid species attacking plants in your area or at the school premises. Observe this species.
Examine if there are ants attending the aphids. Most ornamental plants and vegetables are attacked by aphids.
You can usually see them at the apical portion or on the growing points of the plant. Look also if there are lady
bird beetles or other aphid predators on the plants.
2. Monitor these insects for one week on a daily basis. Identify them using Key to the identification of Insects. You
may use the SARAi SPIDTECH for this purpose. Record their species and species abundance. Observe the
behavior of each species.
3. Select at least 3 observation plants having at least 3 separate observation areas as replicate. Vary your
observation times: early morning, late morning, late afternoon, in terms of ants tending the aphids, aphids feeding
on the plant, predators preying on the aphids, and behavior of ants towards the aphids and the predator.
4. Using a transparent cloth, cover one portion of the plant being attacked by the aphid and excluding the ants.
Replicate thrice. Observe the behavior of aphids with the ants excluded and with the ants and the aphids.
5. Gently touch an aphid with a pair of fine tweezers. Compare the response of ants and other aphids over a
distance. Most likely, the behavior is a response to an alarm pheromone.
6. Answer the following questions:
a. What species of ant, aphid and aphid predator did you observe on the infested plant?
b. How abundant are each species? What is the ratio of the ants, aphids and predator in the plant?
c. Did you observe different species of aphids or ants in the plant?
d. Did you observe differences in the behavior of aphids and ants when separated?
e. Are they having mutualistic relationship?
f. What is the role of ants in the life of an aphid?
7. Present your data in graphs and your raw data in tabular form. Write the results of your data. Include in your
discussion the answers to questions based on your observation.
8. Submit also properly labeled and identified photographs of the voucher materials (specimens).

Reference:
Muller-Schwarze,D. (2009) . Mutualism: Effects of Ants on Aphids, Their Predators and Host Plants. In: Hands-On
Chemical Ecology-Simple Field and Laboratory exercises/Dietland Muller-Schwarze/Springer