Tim Tyler wrote or quoted:

http://timtyler.freeshell.org/temp/a...ion_flower.jpg

[...]

My theory about how the aphids arrived at that spot is that the aphids
were carried a metre up into the air by ants - and placed on the plant's
most tender growth area by them.

Possibly this act was performed by the same two ants I found in
attendance.

If this theory is correct it may be possible to observe the transportation
act in progress - with a bit of luck. I'll keep an eye out for this
event. It seems it may be possible to catch the ants in action.

The event seems too infrequent for me to stand much chance of observing
it :-(

I did some aphid speed tests, though - and was impressed with the
speeds the aphids could manage when stressed - the aphids I saw could
easily have reached the top of the plant under their own steam.

Another possibly-ant-implicated phenomenon I've observed is "leaf-tents"
at the tops of currant bushes. These do not look like a simple side
effect of aphid attack - and look *exactly* as though they are "designed"
to provide UV protection - and heat shade - for the aphids underneath.

I presume these are mainly created by attacking the backs of the leaves,
causing them to curl - and aphids are significantly better placed to
perform such attacks than the attending ants are. However, the leaf
tents appear to have a significant degree of sophistication - and I
suspect that the ants may have had a guiding hand in their creation.

A literature search might help identify whether such a phenomenon has
ever been linked to the presence of ants.
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