• Rose Thorne(She/Her)
        36•1 year ago

        They do! Well, at least certain species do. They groom the aphids to harvest a sweet excretion.

        It’s a really neat relationship.

        • pjhenry1216
          29•1 year ago

          I mean, it’s not just any excretion. It’s a byproduct of sorts of the aphids digestive system.

          From wikipedia on “Honeydew (secretion)”:

          When their mouthpart penetrates the phloem, the sugary, high-pressure liquid is forced out of the anus of the aphid.

          • Electric
            28•1 year ago

            mouthpart penetrates the phloem

            liquid is forced out of the anus

            Sweet Jesus.

            • pjhenry1216
              18•1 year ago

              Sweet Jesus.

              Yes, apparently it does taste very sweet.

              I’ll see myself out.

          • Rose Thorne(She/Her)
            6•1 year ago

            Well, there’s at least video of ants getting the honeydew, so I guess if one’s kinky enough, it’s porn for ants.

            • kamenLady.
              3•1 year ago

              Ant porn for humans with that extra kink™

      • @SuddenDownpourEnglish
        21•1 year ago

        Ants can be brutal. Some species of ants steal the eggs of different colonies to force them to work for their own colony. Sometimes, the kidnapped ants rebel and lay waste to the interior of the colony that kidnapped them if they think they can overpower them.

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slave-making_ant