Consider a Simple Food Web Consisting of Plants, Aphids, Ants

Short Answer

Consider a simple food web consisting of plants, aphids, ants, and ladybird beetles. Aphids are herbivores that consume the plants, and ladybird beetles are a predator that eats aphids. The ants obtain nutritious honeydew from the aphids, and in return the ants protect the aphids from predatory insects. What is likely to happen to the ladybird beetles, aphids, and plants if the ants go extinct?