Mutualistic interaction of aphids and ants in pepper, Capsicum annuum and Capsicum frutenscens (Solanaceae)

Introduction: Adequate biological identification is fundamental for establishing integrated pest management programs and identifying the trophic mutualist relationships that can affect population dynamics. Aphids are main of pepper Capsicum spp. (Solanaceae) crops in Southwestern Colombia, due to their role as vectors viruses. However, aphid species complex, limiting investigations performed address interactions with other organisms. Ants aphids present a facultative mutualistic relationship, promotes growth hemipteran colonies, this reason, study ecological association between ants important. Objective: The objective was discriminate commercial spp., identify ant community attends colonies its effects on size colonies. Methods: Aphid species, mutualist, were collected from annuum frutescens, Cauca valley, Colombia. We use DNA barcoding approach identified by morphology‐based taxonomy. To evaluate effect care structure generalized linear models calculated using response variables total number each colony proportion nymphs. Results: attack crops, are: Aphis gossypii Myzus persicae (Hemiptera: Aphididae), A. being interacts (19 species). attended had larger sizes more nymphs per colony, than those not attended. Conclusions: Although aphid-ant interaction species-specific, it necessary consider propagation viral diseases peppers determine how may regional control strategies.