Yesterday I came across some ants tending aphids.
I am pretty sure the ant is Formica exsectoides, the Allegheny mound ant. I don’t know the aphid–I am pretty sure microscopic examination would be required to identify it.
There is a mutualistic relationship between the ants and the aphids–aphids providing food and ants providing protection. I also found some “ant mummies”–the remains of aphids that are involuntarily providing food for some wasp larva.
Wow! I’ve heard about this relationship but had never seen it illustrated in photos. I think it’s best to describe the relationship using the term from Facebook, “it’s complicated.”
Pingback: Trophallaxis: When Ants Kissed. « the unbearable lightness of being me.