Crawling Insects
Latest Feature Articles
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Chemical Communication in Aphids
Scientists are busy identifying the myriad of molecules that regulate social, reproductive, and emergency interactions of aphids and associated animals.
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Ants Tightly Control Their Aphids
Although ants and aphids are known to share a mutually positive relationship, the ants keep their "cows" in line through behavioral and chemical constraints.
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Persistent Viral Infections of Aphids
Viral diseases that aphids transmit to plants are either persistent or last only a few days. The viruses of persistent infections permeate the entire body of the aphid.
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Aphids Transmit Plant Viruses
While a heavy infestation of aphids may deplete a plant's resources and kill it, a light scattering of aphids might transfer viruses that destroy an entire crop.
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Hazards to Aphids Living in Galls
Dangers and restrictions of gall living affect the dwellers. The ways in which aphids attempt to overcome these are highly evolved, yet are sometimes insurmountable.
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Unusual Lifestyles of Aphids
Although most are aerial, many aphids cause plants to produce galls, produce external camouflage, or even go underground and spend the winter in ant burrows.
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Galls Benefit Aphids
Living inside an overgrowth of plant tissue, some aphids are both hidden from predators and derive higher quality nourishment than do free-living aphids.
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Aphids and Ants
Although ants will eat anything, they show a different behavior to aphids: protecting them, milking them, and even carrying them onto new plants.
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Aphids Can Cause Serious Damage to Plants
Aphids pierce plant phloem cells and drink the sap. Their feeding method is wasteful. Sometimes they remove so many nutrients the plant withers and dies.
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