Ants on the Flower Buds

July 31, 2008 | Filed Under Ants, Colors, Flowers, Insects, Trumpet Vines, Yellow | 15 Comments 

From the archives:

What is the name of this flower?  Trumpet vine? 

Okay.  So, sometime ago, I passed by this flower and there were a whole lotta ants crawling  on the buds.   I clicked away.  The photo doesn’t really do it justice but here it is.  I didn’t give much thought to the flower or the ants.  Until now.  Lily Hydrangea of Long Island Daily Photo inspired me to post today’s photo.  Very recently, she posted a photo of a trumpet vine with ants crawling on its bud.  She asked her readers if they knew what the ants were doing on the flower buds.  Her answer?  The ants are attracted to scale, which is an oval-shaped bump on the stems of the undersides of the flower leaves.  Scale produces a honeydew that the ants like.  So, that’s what the ants were doing!  Very interesting.   Another interesting note is that the ants do not harm the flowers.  Thanks Lily Hydrangea.  I like to learn something new everyday. 

Paz