. Annual report of the New York State College of Agriculture at Cornell University and the Agricultural Experiment Station. New York State College of Agriculture; Cornell University. Agricultural Experiment Station; Agriculture -- New York (State). Rural School Leaflet 903. Fig. 4. -Syrphus fly, enlarged and natural size man}^ ants in quest of the honeydew. The ants obtain the sweet material in an interesting way, and the whole process can be seen by patient, carefiil watching. An individual ant walks up to an aphid and strokes the latter with its antennas, or "feelers," to which the
. Annual report of the New York State College of Agriculture at Cornell University and the Agricultural Experiment Station. New York State College of Agriculture; Cornell University. Agricultural Experiment Station; Agriculture -- New York (State). Rural School Leaflet 903. Fig. 4. -Syrphus fly, enlarged and natural size man}^ ants in quest of the honeydew. The ants obtain the sweet material in an interesting way, and the whole process can be seen by patient, carefiil watching. An individual ant walks up to an aphid and strokes the latter with its antennas, or "feelers," to which the aphid responds by giving out a drop of the honeydew. This action may be repeated with three or four of the aphids until the ant has all that it desires, when it hurries down the stem of the plant and away to its nest with its load of sweet provender. In return for these supplies of delectable food, the ants protect the aphids from their enemies and sometimes actually build cover- ings, or "sheds," over the aphids. More remarkable still, sometimes the ants carry the eggs of the aphids into their nests in the fall and care for them most solicitously through the winter until they hatch in the spring; then the ants take the young aphids and carry them out tenderly, placing them on favorite food plants where they can thrive and produce honey- dew again. On the other hand, aphids have their enemies as well as their friends, and their enemies are legion. One of the worst enemies of aphids, and at the same time one of the most effec- tive forces in keeping plant lice under control, is the ladybird beetle. At least eight different kinds of ladybirds prey on plant lice and aid in holding them in check. In a badly infested field of cabbages one is almost sure to find many specimens of the convergent ladybird, the thirteen- and fifteen-spotted ladybirds, and other kinds, all doing valiant work in destroying the cabbage lice. Then there are the syrphus flies (Fig. 4) that lay the
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