Reported Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphidoidea) and Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Species Associations from Samsun Province

Abstract

Mutualistic relationship between ants and aphids species are common phenomena. This association arise from honeydew excretion by aphids. Proportion of honeydew ingredient which is the most important point of this relationship is variable according to both plant and aphid species. In this study, it was determined that 13 ant species associated with 45 aphid species. The most tending ant species associated with many aphid species were Lasius brunneus (Latreille, 1798) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Lasius turcicus Santschi, 1921 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Lasius alienus (Foerster, 1850) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Formica rufibarbis Fabricius, 1793 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and Formica cunicularia Latreille, 1798 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). The most aphid species associated with many ant species were Aphis spiraecola Patch, 1914 (Hemiptera: Aphididae), Aphis fabae Scopoli, 1763 (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and Brachycaudus cardui (Linnaeus, 1758) (Hemiptera: Aphididae).