Ant-tended
Guides
Allokermes
oak kermes scales
Allokermes is a genus of gall-like kermes scale insects in the family Kermesidae, native to the United States and specialized on oak trees (Quercus spp.). Females are relatively large (4–5 mm), round, and mottled brown, while males are tiny (1 mm), white, and oval. The genus includes economically significant pests that cause branch dieback, reduced growth, and occasional tree mortality. At least two species are well-documented: A. kingii in the southeastern and eastern United States, and A. galliformis in the eastern United States and Colorado.
Anoecia corni
dogwood aphid, common dogwood-grass aphid, dogwood-grass aphid
Anoecia corni is a subterranean aphid species that alternates between dogwood trees and grass roots during its life cycle. Native to Europe, it has been introduced to North America. The species feeds primarily on xylem tissues and has been recorded as a pest of millets. It maintains associations with bacterial endosymbionts including the obligate symbiont Buchnera aphidicola and several facultative symbionts.
Cerataphis orchidearum
Fringed Orchid Aphid
Cerataphis orchidearum is an aphid species in the family Aphididae, commonly known as the fringed orchid aphid. It has been recorded on orchid hosts (Orchidaceae) and on Daemonorops lewisiana, a rattan palm. The species has been observed in association with yellow crazy ants (Anoplolepis gracilipes), which tend the aphids. Its distribution spans multiple continents, including Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania.
Cinara pilicornis
spruce shoot aphid, brown spruce shoot aphid
Cinara pilicornis is a large aphid species specialized on spruce trees, particularly Norway spruce (Picea abies) and Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis). Native to Europe, it has been introduced to New Zealand and South Korea. The species produces melezitose, a trisaccharide sugar, and is associated with specific semiochemicals including nepetalactone compounds. It is attended by ants such as Formica polyctena and serves as a host for Entomophthora fungi, though it experiences low parasitism by the wasp Pauesia pini.
Euphilotes rita
Rita's Blue, rita blue, desert buckwheat blue
Euphilotes rita is a small lycaenid butterfly native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Adults are active from July through late September, with a single generation per year. The species exhibits strong ecological specialization on wild buckwheat (Eriogonum species) throughout its life cycle. Larvae are tended by ants, a characteristic mutualism within the Polyommatinae.
Maculolachnus
Maculolachnus is a genus of aphids in the family Aphididae, established by Gaumont in 1920. Species in this genus are specialized feeders on woody plants in the family Rosaceae, particularly Rosa species. The genus has been documented in Europe, Northern America, and South Korea, with recent integrative taxonomic studies revealing previously unrecognized species diversity in East Asia.
Publilia concava
Aster Treehopper
Publilia concava is an eastern North American treehopper (Hemiptera: Membracidae) commonly occurring in large aggregations on goldenrod (Solidago spp.). Adults oviposit in early June; nymphs hatch by late June and aggregations peak in mid-July. The species forms dense aggregations of up to 500+ individuals on single plant ramets. It is obligately associated with tending ants, primarily Formica subsericea, Camponotus noveboracensis, and Lasius species, which defend treehoppers from natural enemies in exchange for honeydew. Feeding causes leaf damage including drooping and premature browning. The species is a model system for studying ant-hemipteran mutualisms and spatial ecology.
Saissetia
soft scales, black scales
Saissetia is a genus of soft scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccidae) containing at least four described species. The genus includes economically important pests, notably Saissetia oleae (black scale) and Saissetia coffeae (hemispherical scale), which attack citrus, olive, coffee, and numerous ornamental plants. Saissetia species are phloem-feeding insects that produce honeydew, facilitating ant associations and sooty mold growth. Several species have been introduced globally through trade in infested nursery plants.
Symydobius
Symydobius is a genus of aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in the tribe Calaphidini. Species occur in Europe and North America, with at least two described species: S. alniarius and S. americanus. The genus is associated with birch (Betula) hosts. Symydobius oblongus exhibits behavioral coordination with attending ants, specifically Formica lugubris.
Toumeyella liriodendri
tuliptree scale
Toumeyella liriodendri, the tuliptree scale, is a soft scale insect (Coccidae) native to North America and specialized on Liriodendron tulipifera (tuliptree or yellow-poplar). This univoltine species overwinters as second-instar nymphs on twigs, matures to adults in spring, and produces eggs that hatch into crawlers in early summer. First-instar nymphs feed on leaf undersides before migrating back to twigs in autumn. Males are unknown; reproduction is presumed parthenogenetic. Heavy infestations cause branch dieback, reduced growth, and honeydew production that supports sooty mold growth. The species has been the subject of recent genomic research, with a 536Mb genome assembly revealing it as an early-diverging soft scale with 17 chromosomes.
Vanduzea
Vanduzea is a genus of treehoppers (family Membracidae) comprising approximately 12 described species. The genus was named in honor of American entomologist Edward Payson Van Duzee. Species within this genus are associated with various host plants, with documented associations including Robinia (Fabaceae), Amorpha canescens, and Grindelia ciliata. Some species exhibit ant-tended behavior and utilize abandoned cavities of wood-boring insects.