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Aggressive mimicry coexists with mutualism in an aphid

Adrián Salazar1, Benjamin Fürstenau2, Carmen Quero3

  • 1Institut Cavanilles de Biodiversitat i Biologia Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Apartado de Correos 22085, 46071 Valencia, Spain;

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|January 14, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Aphids exhibit aggressive mimicry by altering their chemical profiles to be cared for as ant larvae. This unprecedented plastic behavior exploits ant resources, blurring the lines between cooperation and exploitation in insect interactions.

Keywords:
aggressive mimicryantsaphidsmutualismpolyphenism

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