A story in photographs.
(If you don’t like bugs you may want to look away now!)
I took this image in my garden last summer. It is part of a story I told with my camera on Flickr over a few days. Here’s the whole thing:
Some species of ant ‘milk’ aphids by stroking them with their antennae. This encourages the aphids to secrete a sticky substance known as honeydew which the ants eat. Here an ant is caught in the act of doing just that. The ants tend their aphid herds like shepherds, protecting them from predators.
The next day a visitor has appeared. A hungry ladybird (ladybug to my American friends) can think of nothing better than this ready-prepared banquet of its favourite food, aphids. An angry ant-shepherd glares at this wolf in the fold.
A day later and the voracious ladybird is still laying siege to aphid city. The ant shepherd has brought in reinforcements but to no avail. The ladybird is like a Sherman tank and angry looks just aren’t going to work. If you look closely you can see an aphid’s legs sticking out of the ladybird’s mouth.
Another day later and the shepherds appear to have given up and left their flock to their fate. However, that is not the end of the story. The next day, there was no sign of the ladybird and the ants were back tending their flock as if nothing had ever happened.
Of course, really one should not anthropomorphise animals, but sometimes it is just too tempting.
Focused Moments 
wow! what a shot.
Thank you very much!
Great post and awesome macros! That first photograph is SPEC-TAC-U-LAR!!!
Thanks! Praise indeed coming from someone as good as you.
A superb series of images , your usual exemplary standard , and a great blog / website
Thank you very much, Andrew.
I love these images! The detail on the little bugs…I mean look at the water droplets on that ladybug! So great!
Thank you! I am really glad you like them.
Incredibly skilled shots, and what a great little story! I love your header, and it is amazing to see your work on such a vast and tiny level. Bravo. -kate
Thank you. What a lovely comment.
R
So much drama unfolding practically beneath our feet! Great sequence.
Thank you very much. The macro lens certainly does reveal a hidden world.
Great storytelling and shots Rachael. Such details 🙂
Thanks, Karen. :o)
Extraordinary images, Rachael! It’s a delight to see details that are so often missed…
Thank you very much, Tricia. That, for me, is a large part of the joy of macro.
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