Ants that are milking lice.
Lice have a long mouth snout that they stick so far into the plant until they end up in a bastrel. This is where sugar water flows through with amino acids, vitamins and minerals. For lice these are fire and building materials. Excess juice 'honeydew' is excreted and forms a sticky layer on the plant (or on the roof of the car under a tree overpopulated with lice). That sticky layer is happy to be swallowed by honeybees.
Ants stimulate excretion by 'drumming' on the hindquarters of the louse, which we call milking. The lice milk is also their energy source.
Source: mieren.nl
A few years ago I started to delve into photography a bit more and by now it can be called a passion.I photograph everything that strikes me in a positive way. Landscapes, animals and occasionally architecture or portraits.... But my preference is still nature photos, especially macro.. Read more…