Costs of ant attendance for aphids

摘要: 1.  Interactions between aphids and ants are considered to be mutualistic, with both partners benefiting. Costs associated such interactions likely less obvious, although they can expected, especially if these associations facultative. 2.  It is demonstrated here that there costs in several life-history parameters individual resulting from ant attendance. Over generations Aphis fabae cirsiiacanthoides feeding on Cirsium arvense, at a range of developmental stages, suffered significant when tended by Lasius niger, e.g. terms prolonged time, delayed offspring production, proportionally smaller gonads, fewer well developed embryos reduced mean relative growth rate. These effects similar those observed feed poor quality plants. 3.  This the first indication cost for The significance this evolution attendance discussed.