Thousands of years ago, the Wise King Solomon, who was a student of nature, observed the lowly ant. He wrote: “Go to the ant and look at them you lazy one; see its ways and become wise. Although it has no commander, officer or ruler, it prepares its food even in the summer; it has gathered its food supplies even in the harvest.” ((Proverbs 6: 6-8).
Ants are model of cooperation, industry, and order, often working together to drag home objects much larger than them. Some ants will even assist injured or exhausted members of the colony back to their nest. I view of these traits, it is no wonder that ants are good model for us to imitate.
Certain ants also enjoy a symbolic alliance with plants. In exchange for nest sites and food, these insects might pollinate their host, disperse its seeds, help provide its nutrients, or protect it against herbivores, whether other insects or mammals.
On the other hand, some ants prefer “animal husbandry,” their charges being aphids that secrete sweet honeydew when gently stroked by the ant’s antennas. The ants tend these insects like cattle, milking them for food and protecting from predators. Just as a dairy farmer might put his cows in the barn overnight, ants often carry aphids to the safety of the ants nest in the evening and return them to the “pasture” in the morning, usually to younger, more nourishing leaves. And we are not talking about just a few aphids. Ants may have “herds” that number in the thousands in a single nest!
Some species of butterflies are also tended by ants. The large blue butterfly for example, has a symbolic relationship with red ants. In fact, it can’t complete its life cycle with out their help. As cater pillar, it rewards its host with sugary excretions. Later, when the butterfly emerges from its chrysalis, it leaves the ants’ nest safe and unharmed.
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