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Crematogaster opuntiae
Arizona, USA

photograph © Alex Wild 2007

Sonoran desert cacti are frequently covered in ants.  The cacti provide the ants with nectar- a ready food supply in a harsh environment- in exchange for protection from herbivorous insects.  Here two acrobat ants exchange nectar they have gathered from a chain-link cholla.

 
USA AZ Pima Co.: E Catalina Highway 
32º17'N 110º45'W 830m. 17.vii.2007.
Ants at extrafloral nectaries on chain-link cholla.
#AW2913, voucher specimens deposited at ALWC.

This image is copyrighted by the photographer and cannot be used without permission. To obtain permission to use this image, please email Alex Wild. (alwild (at) myrmecos.net).  Most of the photographs on myrmecos.net are reduced from their original size and compressed for more efficient web transmission.  In some cases, higher quality versions are available.

This image was captured with a Canon EOS 20D, using a Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x macro lens.