Comments on: Biology Challenge http://www.nabt.org/blog/2010/05/23/biology-challenge/ A Biology Teaching Community Thu, 16 Jun 2011 02:57:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Brad Williamson http://www.nabt.org/blog/2010/05/23/biology-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-294 Brad Williamson Mon, 24 May 2010 21:47:16 +0000 http://www.nabt.org/blog/?p=978#comment-294 Nicely done but I think you'll want to look over the ants a bit more---check out those gasters in the top ants in the top image.....that's a hint. Nicely done but I think you’ll want to look over the ants a bit more—check out those gasters in the top ants in the top image…..that’s a hint.

]]> By: kfoglia http://www.nabt.org/blog/2010/05/23/biology-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-289 kfoglia Mon, 24 May 2010 01:26:52 +0000 http://www.nabt.org/blog/?p=978#comment-289 OOOH, ooooh, pick me, pick me!! We've got a 3 way relationship here between: * milkweed -- Asclepias sp. * aphids -- Aphis sp. (nerii?) Oleander aphids? * ants -- Formica sp. Great examples of coevolution and mutualism 1. The milkweed produces secondary metabolites (cardiac glycosides) to deter herbivorous predators. 2. The aphids are sucking plant fluids from phloem, but packaging up the toxic glycosides from the milkweed just like monarchs do. By the way, they are colored yellow as an example of Mullerian mimicry -- warning signal that they are toxic. 3. The ants are tending and milking the aphids to collect their honeydew, siphoning off some of those plant sugars. FUN STUFF! My milkweed is just leafing out so we are behind you a few weeks. I will have to watch and take photographs as well. BTW, couldn't find the site you referred to. OOOH, ooooh, pick me, pick me!!

We’ve got a 3 way relationship here between:
* milkweed — Asclepias sp.
* aphids — Aphis sp. (nerii?) Oleander aphids?
* ants — Formica sp.

Great examples of coevolution and mutualism

1. The milkweed produces secondary metabolites (cardiac glycosides) to deter herbivorous predators.
2. The aphids are sucking plant fluids from phloem, but packaging up the toxic glycosides from the milkweed just like monarchs do. By the way, they are colored yellow as an example of Mullerian mimicry — warning signal that they are toxic.
3. The ants are tending and milking the aphids to collect their honeydew, siphoning off some of those plant sugars.

FUN STUFF!

My milkweed is just leafing out so we are behind you a few weeks.
I will have to watch and take photographs as well.

BTW, couldn’t find the site you referred to.

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