News Life

Aphids, abandon ship

Mammal breath drives insects to jump off plants

By Susan Milius

- More than 2 years ago

Any mammal breath, be it goats’ or gazelles’ or grad students’, is bad breath to an aphid.

DON’T BREATHE A pea aphid on a clover blossom might just let go and tumble to the ground if something warm and humid hits it, such as a puff of photographer breath. Clemson University/USDA Cooperative Extension

Exhalations send masses of pea aphids overboard, plummeting off the plant where they have been feeding, says Moshe Inbar of the University of Haifa in Israel.