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Scientific name: Arthropoda: Insecta: Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Camponotus sp.
Common Name: ant

Country: USA
State/District: DC
County: not applicable
Date (D-M-Y): 8 - 2000

Photographer: D. S. Kjar

Identifier: D. S. Kjar
Collector: not applicable
Location: Rock Creek Park Glover-Archbold Park

Keywords: A FEar FEtr GU honeydew ROCR tree
Additional Information:   Many ant species "farm" aphids (= ant-cows, plantlice) for honeydew, a sugary aphid excretion (Barrows 2001).   The ants often chase away competitors for the honeydew and parasites and predators that could harm the aphids.   Both ants and aphids can benefit from their interrelationship.   Individual ants may return to the same aphid groups from day to day (Ebbers and Barrows 1980).

Barrows, E. M. 2001. Animal Behavior Desk Reference. A Dictionary of Animal Behavior, Ecology, and Evolution. Second Edition. CRC Press LCC, Boca Raton, FL. 922 pp.

Ebbers, B. C. and E. M. Barrows. 1980. Individual ants specialize on particular aphid herds (Hymenoptera; Formicidae, Homoptera: Aphididae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 82: 405-407.






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