Ants tending aphids (white) on a plant stem. Many ants, live on a diet of honeydew excreted by aphids (superfamily Aphidoidea). As a result they form

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Ants tending aphids (white) on a plant stem. Many ants, live on a diet of honeydew excreted by aphids (superfamily Aphidoidea). As a result they form a symbiotic relationship, whereby the ants feed on the honeydew from the aphids and in return they protect the aphids and their eggs. Honeydew is a sugary substance excreted by the aphids as they feed on the sap from a plant's stem. Photographed in Rio Bigal Biological Reserve, Amazon Rainforest, Ecuador.

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Size: 5184px × 3456px
Photo credit: © DR MORLEY READ/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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