Their life cycle involves wingless females reproducing to winged females procreating innumerable young nymphs. The nymphs further proliferate extremely rapid and binge on plants. The wings develop later in the season for brief period of time, allowing the insects to fly-off and colonise on new plants.
Ants and Aphids
In natural world, things look different from as they appear. There is suppose to be symbiotic/mutual relationship between ants and aphids. It has been studied that ants rear and protect aphids from being predation. They also sometime park aphids on safe places sometimes. But, at the same time it has also been observed that this generous act by ants performed to feed on honey dew, sweet honey like sticky substance secreted by aphids. This honey-dew is actually poo of aphids which is being secreted to repel the ants, but ants like it astonishingly. If ants do not feed on this sticky honey dew, it turns out to be breeding ground for sooty molds. So, ants also in someway help plants not to get infected with sooty molds/fungi.
Interestingly, ants rear the colonies of aphids in the same way we rear and care animals in exchange of utilities..
Aphids and lady-beetles/lady-bugs
The protagonist in the story is every kid's favorite insect lady-beetle/lady-bug which even ants could not save aphids from get predated. The tail-less-alligator like larvae of lady-beetles are voracious eaters and they continuously feed on the aphid population till they get exhausted. The University of Kentucky Extension Service reports that a single ladybug eats around 5,000 aphids during its lifetime. When larvae reach full growth they move to some safe corner of the leaves or stem and turn into non-feeding pupae. In a few days the pupa raptures and the young adult comes out to continue binge on aphid colonies. A single adult lady-beetle eats up to 50 aphids in a single day.
In natural world, things look different from as they appear. There is suppose to be symbiotic/mutual relationship between ants and aphids. It has been studied that ants rear and protect aphids from being predation. They also sometime park aphids on safe places sometimes. But, at the same time it has also been observed that this generous act by ants performed to feed on honey dew, sweet honey like sticky substance secreted by aphids. This honey-dew is actually poo of aphids which is being secreted to repel the ants, but ants like it astonishingly. If ants do not feed on this sticky honey dew, it turns out to be breeding ground for sooty molds. So, ants also in someway help plants not to get infected with sooty molds/fungi.
Interestingly, ants rear the colonies of aphids in the same way we rear and care animals in exchange of utilities..
Aphids and lady-beetles/lady-bugs
The protagonist in the story is every kid's favorite insect lady-beetle/lady-bug which even ants could not save aphids from get predated. The tail-less-alligator like larvae of lady-beetles are voracious eaters and they continuously feed on the aphid population till they get exhausted. The University of Kentucky Extension Service reports that a single ladybug eats around 5,000 aphids during its lifetime. When larvae reach full growth they move to some safe corner of the leaves or stem and turn into non-feeding pupae. In a few days the pupa raptures and the young adult comes out to continue binge on aphid colonies. A single adult lady-beetle eats up to 50 aphids in a single day.
While they do such a great job free of cost, we often throw baby out of bathwater when we spray harsh chemicals to get rid of aphids. If we trust in nature, nature keeps check on such elements in her own way. So, lady-beetles keep check on aphids naturally. Further certain blossoming herbs and flowers provide the nectar and breeding ground for lady-beetles and lady-bugs, need for reproduction. These blossoming herbs could be anything from dill to cilantro, carom to cumin, fenugreek to fennel, parsley to celery. These herbs facilitate the colonies of lady-beetles/lady-bugs and also disrupts the mating of aphids because of their natural fragrance.
For more and photo gallery click the link: http://www.pbase.com/antjes/lady_bug
For more and photo gallery click the link: http://www.pbase.com/antjes/lady_bug
