Some plant species attract ants with special nectar-producing glands. It is thought that ants help protect the plant from herbivorous pest insects, so the arrangement is beneficial for both ants and plants. Here, a Crematogaster cerasi forager feeds from a leaf nectary of an Ailanthus tree of paradise. Champaign, Illinois, USA

Acrobat antsacrobat antCrematogasterMyrmicinaeFormicidaeHymenopteraantsantinsectsinsectworkersCrematogaster cerasiextrafloral nectarynectariescarbohydratesecologyant plantinteractionsfeedingplants