Black garden ants reduce aphid predation by native and invasive ladybirds

We established microcosms with a bean plant (Vicia faba) infested with black bean aphids (Aphis fabae). The microcosms were divided into the following treatments: no ants, aphids tended by common red ants (Myrmica rubra), and aphids tended by black garden ants (Lasius niger). We added either a native ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata) or an invasive ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) to the microcosms. We compared deterrence of ladybirds from plant-based aphids by ants and the number of aphids remaining at the end of the experiment. We present the data of remaining aphids [Aphids] and observations of ladybirds on plants [Plant] in two versions: 1) data_all: with the respective variables in one single column and observation [Observ] as an additional variable and 2) data_per_observ: presenting the measured variables in individual columns for the respective time of observation (h after the start of the experiment). Explanatory variables include the identity of the microcosm [No], experimental block [Block], observation time within each block [Observ], treatment combination [Treat], ant treatment [Ant], and ladybird treatment [Beetle].  Treatment combinations consist of the presence of Myrmica rubra [MR], Lasius niger [LN], Coccinella septempunctata [CS], Harmonia axyridis [HA], and no ant or ladybird [None].