Scientists discover aphids' survival strategy

Scientists have found that aphids drop to safety when they sense the heat and humidity of a mammal's breath, before being inadvertently ingested.

Published in Springer's journal Naturwissenschaften – The Science of Nature, Moshe Gish and colleagues at the University of Haifa, Israel, are proficient at detecting the threat, along with their escape tactics.

Experts looked at 16 Sow thistle plants which were infested with aphids and let a goat feed on this greenery for a short time.

Scientists then compared the number of aphids found on the ground after the plant was eaten to those on each leaf before the goat made contact with it.

In total, 76 per cent of the aphid colony survived and were found on the floor or in the plant pot, with the team finding that they reacted to the heat and humidity of the mammal's breath before leaping to safety.

Aphids, known as greenflies in the UK, suck sap from plants and are a serious destructive pest to farmers in hot regions.