Mutual Benefit. Aphis fabae, Black Bean Aphid, and Garden Ant, Lasius niger, on Myrrhis odorata, Sweet Cicely, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Here on a stem of Sweet Cicely, Myrrhis odorata, a story of Mutual Benefit. Black Bean Aphids - in various stages of development, winged and otherwise - tended by Black Garden Ant. Aphid sucks juice from Myrrhis's stem, digests it and emits honeydew. Ant craves that Sweet Commodity, and feeds happily on Aphid's evacuate gift. In return, so naturalists have discovered, Ant and her cohorts protect Aphid and its flock from predators. Apparently Ant-tended Aphids even produce more honeydew than those unsupervised. Ah! Agriculture and Pure Nature!
Whether vegetable gardens are enthusiastic is another story altogether; but this Sony-bearer was delighted.
Mutual Benefit. Aphis fabae, Black Bean Aphid, and Garden Ant, Lasius niger, on Myrrhis odorata, Sweet Cicely, Hortus Botanicus, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Here on a stem of Sweet Cicely, Myrrhis odorata, a story of Mutual Benefit. Black Bean Aphids - in various stages of development, winged and otherwise - tended by Black Garden Ant. Aphid sucks juice from Myrrhis's stem, digests it and emits honeydew. Ant craves that Sweet Commodity, and feeds happily on Aphid's evacuate gift. In return, so naturalists have discovered, Ant and her cohorts protect Aphid and its flock from predators. Apparently Ant-tended Aphids even produce more honeydew than those unsupervised. Ah! Agriculture and Pure Nature!
Whether vegetable gardens are enthusiastic is another story altogether; but this Sony-bearer was delighted.