Suicide Aphids Explode to save their Nests

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The colonial aphid fixes its house in a stunningly fatal fashion – they will fix a hole in its nest by exploding and the result is coating its bodily fluids over the openings. These aphids live in hollow spheres called galls in Japanese trees. They divide their labor into adult reproducers, workers and soldiers. If a moth caterpillars attacks their home the soldiers will defend by stabbing the intruders to death, using the piercing mouthparts, but after the attack there maybe several gaping holes that need to be repaired. Hundreds of soldiers will gather around the a holes and violently eruption and within a hour will harden and seal the gaps. It has been discovered that as their bodily fluids rupture, hemocytes or fats quickly form a plug or clotting the house. This kind of suicidal unselfishness is called autothysis.
https://gogreenpestcontrol.ca/suicide-aphids-e…save-their-nests/

gogreenpestcontrol.ca insectandrodentexterminators.com Delta Ladner Tsawwassen Rand Bilesky BsF CPA RPF

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/suicide-aphids-explode-save-nests-randy-bilesky/?published=t
https://www.delta-optimist.com/opinion/blogs/blog-aphids-can-explode-to-save-their-nest-1.23792860