In article , Tim Tyler wrote:

Ants are the aphids' friends - and you know what they say about the
friends of your enemies:

Sigh. Do you have any REAL evidence for that - in the UK?

``And ants directly defend the aphids from predators, the
aphids having lost their own defenses as domesticated
animals often do. The ants' success in protecting their
flocks is attested in the lengths that green lacewing larvae
(Chrysopa glossonae) go to sneak past ant defenders to catch
woolly alder aphids (Prociphilus tesselatus). ...

An extreme example cited in The Ants is that of the American
corn-root aphid (Aphis maidiradicis) and an ant (Lasius
neoniger). Colonies of this ant keep the aphids' eggs in
their nests over the winter, ...

- http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Publicatio...antfarmers.cfm

All that refers to North America. While we may be a vassal state
of the USA, that does not mean that we have a subset of its ecology.

Yes, I know perfectly well that the phenomenon occurs in the tropics,
and occasionally in the temperate zones. Even there, I doubt that
"ants are the aphids' friends", because it is probably that there
is more ant predation on aphids than ant protection of them. But,
whatever the situation, it is irrelevant to the UK.

To the best of my knowledge, there has been NO serious research on
whether ants EVER (a) cause or (b) enhance aphid attacks in the UK.
My crude investigations indicate that it is at least much less
likely than most people believe, and possibly doesn't occur. But
they were very crude.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.