antonsrkn
Sharing a Drink
Pyrops whiteheadi & Cockroaches - Danum Valley, Malaysia
My previous photo in my photostream shows ants interacting with a leafhopper in order to obtain honeydew. So I thought it would be interesting to follow up with a different example of the same behavior. This interaction is a bit more unusual as this time its a roach with a lantern bug! There is also actually a second roach but its not visible from this angle. Honeydew is a sugary liquid secreted by certain insects. I have known for a long time ants harvested it from aphids, but I was surprised to see roaches interacting with other bugs for it and I was shocked to learn even geckos will do this! In terms of the ants its mutualism as the ants benefit from the food and the insects they recieve it from benefit from the protection of the ants. A similar interaction has been suggested between the geckos and lanternbugs as the gecko may eat the competing insects. However I'm not sure what benefit if any the lanternbug receives from interaction with cockroaches.
Link to a different view of this behavior:
www.flickr.com/photos/26500525@N08/10866079224/in/set-721...
Sharing a Drink
Pyrops whiteheadi & Cockroaches - Danum Valley, Malaysia
My previous photo in my photostream shows ants interacting with a leafhopper in order to obtain honeydew. So I thought it would be interesting to follow up with a different example of the same behavior. This interaction is a bit more unusual as this time its a roach with a lantern bug! There is also actually a second roach but its not visible from this angle. Honeydew is a sugary liquid secreted by certain insects. I have known for a long time ants harvested it from aphids, but I was surprised to see roaches interacting with other bugs for it and I was shocked to learn even geckos will do this! In terms of the ants its mutualism as the ants benefit from the food and the insects they recieve it from benefit from the protection of the ants. A similar interaction has been suggested between the geckos and lanternbugs as the gecko may eat the competing insects. However I'm not sure what benefit if any the lanternbug receives from interaction with cockroaches.
Link to a different view of this behavior:
www.flickr.com/photos/26500525@N08/10866079224/in/set-721...