Can't we be friends?

[nitefrogger]

With all the posts of spiders eating spiders, I thought this tender scene might give comfort. This ant is caring for the homopterans!

[racketman]

I waas going to take issue and say surely you mean Hemiptera but Isee they are interchangeable or some consider Homops to be suborder of Hemips; all very confusing. Good find anyway - I presume in fact the ant is checking they are not potential aphid predators?

[nitefrogger]

good point Racketman. I think of hemiptera as the true bugs, but taxonomists now put the "homoptera" with the hemiptera while some still list homoptera seperate. Anyway, aphids are also homopterans as are leafhoppers and treehoppers. I'm not sure what those critters are in the picture, but they're one of that gang that suck the living juices out of plants. The ants get sweet droplets in return for their protection. Neat!

[LordV]

Neat shot.
As you say another example of "cow herding"- the ants milk the tree hoppers of excess honeydew just like they do with aphids.
Brian V.

[nitefrogger]

Thanks LordV. In this bug eat bug world it's great to see some of them getting along! (Could they be telling us something?)

[bandit 1]

Hiya Nitefrogger,
Great shot, interesting to see that going on, looks a bit ménage à trois ish to my country boys eyes ;-)
Cheers for now
Mark