%0 Journal Article %A Shiran, Elahe %A Mossadegh, Mohammad Saeed %A Esfandiari, Mehdi %T Mutualistic ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) associated with aphids in central and southwestern parts of Iran %J Journal of Crop Protection %V 2 %N 1 %U http://jcp.modares.ac.ir/article-3-11709-en.html %R %D 2013 %K Iran, Khuzestan, mutualism, ant, Aphid, Esfahan, %X Ants consume or store the honeydew which is secreted by aphids or other homopteran insects. Major benefit of ant attendance for aphids is protection against natural enemies. A study was carried out during 2009-2010, to determine the mutualistic association between ants and aphids on different host plants in some parts of Khuzestan and Esfahan provinces. A total of 20 ant species belonging to 12 genera and 3 subfamilies were collected and identified. Among them, four species are new to Iranian ant fauna as follows: Monomorium libanicum Tohme; Monomorium qarahe Collingwood & Agosti; Monomorium mayri Forel and Lasius paralienus Seifert. The collected myrmecophilous aphids were 33 species belonging to 3 families and 5 subfamilies. Details and mechanisms of such associations between ants and aphids are unknown to us. More detailed investigations are needed in each case to adequately understand them. %> http://jcp.modares.ac.ir/article-3-11709-en.pdf %P 1-12 %& 1 %! Mutualistic ants associated with aphids %9 %L A-3-1000-9042 %+ Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Iran. %G eng %@ 2251-9041 %[ 2013