A Not So Free Lunch - _TNY_9409
Looking at this shot, it's easy to think the seven-spot ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata) which is eating an aphid is going to go all Pac-Man on the rest of the aphids here and much away until it can't eat more.
The aphids have hired bodyguards though, black garden ants (Lasius niger) which in exchange for som drops of honey dew agreesively protects their herd.
Right after this an ant charged up to the ladybird and climbed on top of it and started biting. The ladybird was visibly disturbed and ended up falling to the ground to avoid the pesky ant.
A Not So Free Lunch - _TNY_9409
Looking at this shot, it's easy to think the seven-spot ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata) which is eating an aphid is going to go all Pac-Man on the rest of the aphids here and much away until it can't eat more.
The aphids have hired bodyguards though, black garden ants (Lasius niger) which in exchange for som drops of honey dew agreesively protects their herd.
Right after this an ant charged up to the ladybird and climbed on top of it and started biting. The ladybird was visibly disturbed and ended up falling to the ground to avoid the pesky ant.