Abstract:  Species interaction is a research hotspot in the fields of ecology and biogeography. Ants’ grazing and feeding of hemipteran insects is the most common phenomenon among invertebrates, a reciprocal biological interaction in which nutrients are exchanged for security. It is thought that aphids suck sap from the phloem and xylem of plants through piercing-sucking mouthparts and excrete a sugar-rich waste product called honeydew, which ants collect and use. In exchange, the ants protect the aphids from predators. However, the relationship between ants and aphids is more complex than a simple mutualism. Therefore, in this article the commensal interactions between ants and aphids were reviewed, including (1) the properties of commensal relationships (symbiosis or predation, obligate interaction or facultative interaction), origin, and adaptive evolution of both; (2) information exchange methods for commensal relationships; (3) the impact on the adaptability of both parties; (4) ecological effects (links to biological and abiotic factors); and (5) links with human activities. Finally, a systematic evaluation of the ant-aphid commensal interaction was conducted, and future studies on the diversity investigation, evolutionary biology, molecular mechanisms, interaction networks, and urbanization effects were prospected. This review will contribute to a more comprehensive and specific understanding of the basic properties, evolutionary processes, maintenance mechanisms, ecological effects, and influencing factors of ant-aphid commensal interactions.

Key words: Ants, aphids, interspecific interaction, symbiosis, commensal interaction, chemical pheromones