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Myrmecophilous leafhoppers

Started By ponerinecat , Nov 20 2020 3:28 PM

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13 replies to this topic

#1 Offline ponerinecat - Posted November 20 2020 - 3:28 PM

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Flipped a rock and found a large colony of Solenopsis sp, complete with symbiotic leafhoppers. Leafhoppers are not dependent on the ants, I usually see them in groups of their own species. they weren't isolated in chambers like root aphids or other hemipterans usually are, instead spread throughout the nest.

 

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#2 Offline Swirlysnowflake - Posted November 20 2020 - 3:50 PM

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Flipped a rock and found a large colony of Solenopsis sp, complete with symbiotic leafhoppers. Leafhoppers are not dependent on the ants, I usually see them in groups of their own species. they weren't isolated in chambers like root aphids or other hemipterans usually are, instead spread throughout the nest.

 

attachicon.gifCSC_6413.JPG

attachicon.gifCSC_6385.JPG

that's so cool :o


 My YouTube channel :)

 

 

#3 Offline Solenoqueen - Posted November 20 2020 - 4:45 PM

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Flipped a rock and found a large colony of Solenopsis sp, complete with symbiotic leafhoppers. Leafhoppers are not dependent on the ants, I usually see them in groups of their own species. they weren't isolated in chambers like root aphids or other hemipterans usually are, instead spread throughout the nest.

 

attachicon.gifCSC_6413.JPG

attachicon.gifCSC_6385.JPG

I'd like to see those in culture at some point then :)


:>

#4 Offline ANTdrew - Posted November 20 2020 - 5:19 PM

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Love it!
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#5 Offline BADANT - Posted November 20 2020 - 5:55 PM

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Excellent post


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#6 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted November 21 2020 - 7:12 AM

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i wonder why? do the leafhoppers benefit the ants in some way?


Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

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#7 Offline NickAnter - Posted November 21 2020 - 7:29 AM

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Saw some myrmecophilous beetles foraging with Formica perpilosa.


Hi there! I went on a 6 month or so hiatus, in part due, and in part cause of the death of my colonies. 

However, I went back to the Sierras, and restarted my collection, which is now as follows:

Aphaenogaster uinta, Camponotus vicinus, Camponotus modoc, Formica cf. aserva, Formica cf. micropthalma, Formica cf. manni, Formica subpolita, Formica cf. subaenescens, Lasius americanus, Manica invidia, Pogonomyrmex salinus, Pogonomyrmex sp. 1, Solenopsis validiuscula, & Solenopsis sp. 3 (new Sierra variant). 

#8 Offline Zeiss - Posted November 21 2020 - 1:41 PM

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i wonder why? do the leafhoppers benefit the ants in some way?

When feeding on plants, they would get an excess of sugars and water and excrete that.  That excretion is called honeydew and a lot of ants farm insects for it.


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#9 Offline ponerinecat - Posted November 21 2020 - 6:09 PM

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i wonder why? do the leafhoppers benefit the ants in some way?

When feeding on plants, they would get an excess of sugars and water and excrete that.  That excretion is called honeydew and a lot of ants farm insects for it.

 

Leafhoppers get protection, mutual benefit. Identified them to the family cixiidae, commonly known to live with ants as juveniles.


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#10 Offline mmcguffi - Posted November 22 2020 - 9:06 AM

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I’ve never seen/heard of leaf hoppers being found under rocks — are these tapping into root systems of the plants?


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#11 Offline ponerinecat - Posted November 22 2020 - 3:54 PM

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I’ve never seen/heard of leaf hoppers being found under rocks — are these tapping into root systems of the plants?

I'd assume so.


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#12 Offline Ants_Dakota - Posted November 23 2020 - 7:56 AM

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i wonder why? do the leafhoppers benefit the ants in some way?

When feeding on plants, they would get an excess of sugars and water and excrete that.  That excretion is called honeydew and a lot of ants farm insects for it.

 

so aphids and leafhoppers do the same thing? that is cool!


Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. -Proverbs 6: 6-8

My Nationwide Ant Shop Here I have PPQ-526 permits to ship ants nationwide

Attention Ant-Keepers in South Dakota! Join the SoDak(Society Of Dakotan Ant Keepers)

My Formica sp. Journal

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My Micro Ants Journal

My Pogonomyrmex occidentalis Journal

#13 Offline ponerinecat - Posted November 23 2020 - 4:40 PM

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i wonder why? do the leafhoppers benefit the ants in some way?

When feeding on plants, they would get an excess of sugars and water and excrete that.  That excretion is called honeydew and a lot of ants farm insects for it.

 

so aphids and leafhoppers do the same thing? that is cool!

 

Can't forget coccids as well. All sap feeding hemipterans, so it makes sense for basically the same relationship to develop between those 3 groups and ants,.


#14 Offline mmcguffi - Posted November 23 2020 - 6:07 PM

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I was super curious about this, so I did a little more looking into it https://www.jstor.or.../25010348?seq=1

 

If anyone wants to read the full article, but can't access it, send me a DM


Edited by mmcguffi, November 23 2020 - 6:08 PM.

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