Ants Farming Scale Insects
On this morning's walk I noticed the ants taking care of some yellow, sac like,balls, attached to a branch of a gum tree.
Doing some additional reading & searching, the sac like creatures are possibly, Eriococcus coriaceus, a scale insect.
The male of the species can fly, and only lives a short time. In fact, they don't even have a mouth to eat!
The female, imbeds her mouth part into the tree, forming a protective sac.
"As a by-product of feeding from the sap of plants, scale produce honeydew which in turn is collected by ants..."
The ants, provide protection to the insect, just as a shepherd, guards his sheep.
Scale, on a large scale, pardon the pun, can damage the tree. As severe infestation, can hinder the plants ability to grow, it simply cannot photosynthesise.
I notice many trees seem to be suffering from alot of insect damage.
I'm @jagged
Source:
www.pir.sa.gov.au Gum Tree Scale
Wikipedia
www.westgatepark.org/fauna-2/beetles-bugs-and-other-insects
Thanks for sharing our informative post. yeah they seem to be an infestation but it is nature plants that does not develop a defense mechanism for these type of attacks will die out those who will will survive. Natural selection they call it.
Ladybugs & wasps are the predators of the scale.. but the scale reproduce very quickly...they hatch a few minutes after being laid, and are pretty much moving about after 12 hours!!
They also can spread via a breeze and upon bird feet!!
Formidable.
That is scary indeed.
Cool post..
Thanks!
Nice post! I sometimes see Eriococcus coriaceus on my trees here.
do you treat them? or leave them alone?
I shoot them with a canon (camera) and then leave them be ☺