THE warm, humid weather we have been experiencing lately has had amazing effects on the numbers of certain insects seen out on the reserves, with some being seen in vast numbers.

The greenfly and other aphids are a gardener’s nightmare as these tiny little insects are armed with plant piercing mouth parts which suck the vital life-giving juices out of the plant, giving them their common name of plant lice.

To the horror of most gardeners, the fine weather has given the aphids an extra boost and out on the nature reserves within the Wyre Forest district, many of the trees with their newly opened leaves are covered in vast clouds of these tiny creatures.

Despite their well-deserved reputation, aphids have an interesting and unusual lifestyle even for an insect.

Early in the spring, the aphids will hatch from eggs concealed in cracks and crevices and newly emerged aphids will begin to feed on the nearest hapless plant.

Unusually, all these newly emerged creatures will be female, and without wings. They will then without the need for mating, lay a brood of eggs and when these hatch, once again, all will be females. But some will have wings and these will leave the host plant in search for further plant victims on which they will rear a further aphid brood.

Throughout the year the aphids will produce up to eight broods all will be composed of females, until the autumn, when the last clutch of eggs will hatch as a mixture of both females and males who will then mate, lay there eggs in a hidden location, then die.

With such an unusual and prolific method of reproduction you may think that the aphids are set to take over the world.

However, several other insect species have joined forces with the gardeners to battle against this aphid menace.

Probably the most famous of these is the ladybird, who, both as an adult and a larvae, is a profuse aphid killer.

Another insect, which has quite an impact on the aphid population, and a much more unlikely candidate when looking at the adult form, is the delicate and beautiful lacewing, but as a larva commonly feasts heavily on aphids. But just as you think you’ve got a chance with powerful allies such as these, there is in fact another insect that has joined forces with the aphids.

This is the ant, who commonly farm aphids in much the same way we farm cows, driving off predators and generally protecting the aphids in exchange for the honey dew the aphids excretes.