Data from: Alate production in an aphid in relation to ant tending and alarm pheromone

1. Winged dispersal is vital for aphids as predation pressure and host plant conditions fluctuate. 2. Ant-tended aphids also need to disperse, but this may represent a cost for the ants, resulting in an evolutionary conflict of interest over aphid dispersal. 3. The combined effects of aphid alarm pheromone, indicating predation risk, and ant attendance on the production of winged aphids were examined in an experiment with Aphis fabae (Homoptera: Aphididae) (Scopoli 1763) aphids and Lasius niger (Formicidae: Formicinae) (Linné, 1758) ants. 4. This study is the first to investigate the joint effects of alarm pheromone and ant attendance, and also the first to detect an influence of alarm pheromone on the production of winged morphs in A. fabae. 5. After a period of 2 weeks, it was found that aphid colonies exposed to intermittent doses of alarm pheromone produced more winged individuals, whereas ant tending had the opposite effect. The effects were additive on a log scale, and ant attendance had a greater proportional influence than exposure to alarm pheromone. A tentative conclusion is that ants have gained the upper hand in an evolutionary conflict about aphid dispersal.

1. 当捕食压力与寄主植物条件发生波动时，有翅扩散（winged dispersal）对蚜虫而言至关重要。
2. 受蚂蚁抚育的蚜虫同样需要进行扩散，但这可能会给蚂蚁带来生存成本，进而在蚜虫扩散相关问题上引发进化利益冲突。
3. 本研究以蚕豆蚜（Aphis fabae，Homoptera: Aphididae，Scopoli 1763）与黑毛蚁（Lasius niger，Formicidae: Formicinae，Linné, 1758）为实验材料，探究了指示捕食风险的蚜虫告警信息素（alarm pheromone）与蚂蚁抚育行为对有翅蚜产生的联合影响。
4. 本研究首次探讨了告警信息素与蚂蚁抚育行为的联合效应，同时也是首次在蚕豆蚜中检测到告警信息素对蚜虫有翅型产出的影响。
5. 经过为期2周的实验后发现：间歇性暴露于告警信息素的蚜虫种群会产生更多有翅个体，而蚂蚁抚育则会产生相反的抑制效果。二者的效应在对数尺度上呈加性关系，且蚂蚁抚育的比例性影响强于告警信息素暴露。据此可初步得出结论：在蚜虫扩散相关的进化冲突中，蚂蚁占据了上风。