A CHEMICAL INFLUENCE OF ANTS ON WING DEVELOPMENT IN APHIDS

Colonies of Aphis fabae Scop, maintained on an artificial diet contained a higher proportion of apterae when they were attended by the ant Formica fusca Wheeler. When extracts of the mandibular glands of this ant and dendrolasin (a chemical known to occur in the mandibular glands of another ant) were topically applied to the aphids the proportions of apterae also increased.