What feeds on the grass aphids in my garden?

[Deb London]

I picked up a single stem/culm of Yorkshire Fog grass last night and got my hand lens out because I hadn't yet ID'd it (I'm just starting to learn about grasses). I was amazed at the number of aphids on the flowering parts of the grass when I looked at them with the lens. The grass was only tiny.

I thought I knew what ate aphids. Larvae of ladybirds, hoverflies and lacewings, sparrows and other birds etc. All quite large and identifiable. But the grass was so delicate, and the aphids so small and inconspicuous. And I don't think I've observed the things that I knew ate aphids living the grass in my garden, if that makes sense.

Quite simply, what feeds on the aphids that live in the meadows and that I never even knew existed?

[STYRBJORN]

As a pure guess ants. The Yellow Lawn Ant, Acanthomyops mixtus, maintains herds of aphids which it "milks" for the honeydew they secrete. Cool or what.

PS try the insects and OTHER invertebrates forum . . . .

[Deb London]

Thanks Ric. Will look that one up. Cheers.

[Dogghound]

There will probably be a whole host of predators and parasites which feed on these aphids from small parasitic wasps, lacewings, ladybirds, spiders through to swallows and bats feeding on them high in the air.

[Deb London]

Thanks Dogghound. I will keep an eye out for those (although we don't have swallows or bats here but who knows how far these insects fly).

[Dogghound]

I would be surprised if you did'nt have bats where you are. I did a load of work this spring/early summer around london and had bats at every site including very urban ones.

[Deb London]

I can't detect them, at least when I've tried to.

[Dogghound]

Are there plenty of trees or parks in your area? 30mins before dusk and about 2-3 hours after are good times to detect especially on warm overcast nights. I would expect common pips to be around. I was at Tottenham in a real urban area and still managed a few, other areas like mill hill were quite good for what limited habitat they provided. No swallows not even really high up in the sky? Worth looking for swallows from August into September as they start to migrate, im sure some will come over the area.

Detector set at 45

[Deb London]

It's a detector that collects all data at once. Great for hearing bats of all species (but the data is not that easy for me to interpret).

Yes, there are lots of bats around and about. For example, I think 6 different species have been recorded at the reserve I sometimes work at (although that's miles away). I can promise you there are very few/no bats visiting my garden though. Some trees yes, but not so much as a pipistrelle.

No, no swallows either. I see swallows every day, the new families are very noisy at present. I don't think I'd miss all that commotion. So no, they are not here at present. But off course some will migrate over the house.

We lack hedgerows, trees and fields. Oh the joys of city life.