I’m vaguely familiar with “ant cows,” the aphids that ants watch over in exchange for a taste of the aphid exudate (eeew). But last weekend I saw some ants herding some tiny winged insects on the underside of some leaves. As soon as I shooed the large ants - looked like carpenter ants - away, the little insects scuttled in all directlons. They looked like very small leaf hoppers. They had what looked like tented wings, and some were fairly large, certainly as compared to an aphid. Does anyone know anything about this relationship? Who gains what from whom?
Obvious question is, are you sure they weren’t winged aphids?
I strongly doubt they were winged aphids. Winged aphids have lacy, transparent wings and they look like…aphids with wings. These looked different, like little leaf hoppers with solid colored wings folded up over the back, tent-like.
Yes, ants also form the same kind of mutualism with leafhoppers that they do with aphids, although it is less common.
Bingo! Gracias.