Let me begin by apologizing and reluctantly admitting (too lazy this morning) that I am not sure what type of aphids and ants are in these pictures. Furthermore, I've been unable to identify the host plan they're on, which I will use as an excuse for not identifying these pesky insects as this is crucial for determining the aphid species.
Aphids, also known as greenfly, blackfly or plant lice, are minute plant-feeding insects. Aphids passively feed on sap of phloem vessels in plants.
Fun Fact #1:
About 4,000 species of aphids are known, classified in 10 families
Fun Fact #2:
Some species of ants "farm" aphids, protecting them on the plant they eat, and eating the honeydew that the aphids secrete; this is a mutualistic relationship. Aphid honeydew is rich in carbohydrates, of which the aphids ingest an excess, being phloem-feeders
Fun Fact #3:
"Aphid" is also the NATO reporting name for the Soviet/Russian Molniya R-60 air-to-air missile
See previous post titled, "White Pine Aphids"
2 comments:
Just kidding!
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