Nick Maclaren wrote:
Tim Tyler writes:

| What other properties do you think would be needed for these
| ants to qualify as 'farmers' rather than 'herders'?

In this context, "herding" means providing some benefits to existing
aphid colonies in return for either honeydew or culling; "farming"
involves moving them into a separate environment, providing them with
food and so on. I have seen no evidence that supports even the claims
that L. niger moves aphids to new plants, in order to start new
colonies. Oh, yes, it is CLAIMED.

According to reports, such evidence is in:

``Ant-mediated dispersal of the black willow aphid Pterocomma
salicis L.; does the ant Lasius niger L. judge aphid-host quality?''

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/conten...00002/art00014

One such report:

``The ability of L. niger to assess the.
‘health’ of tended aphid colonies was shown by
Collins and Leather (2002) who reported that
ants could remove healthy aphids to start new
colonies if the if the original aphid colony
became overcrowded.''
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