Talking Ants

These Carpenter Ants (Camponotus sp.) like to hang out on our Castor Bean plant, where they find little extra-floral nectaries. They travel from nectary to nectary in a pattern, repeated over and over. I've seen ants in the Amazon that live in the acacia plant, are provided nectaries likes this, but they defend their host plant ferociously. These carpenter ants just drop off the plant and run if you mess with them. Since the plant is out of its home range, perhaps the ants just discovered the nectaries and aren't programmed to defend the plant in return. I wonder if there is an ant species that is supposed to live with and defend the plant back in its home range of Africa and India.
These two ants are discussing the best nectaries.

Attached Image:

Here are Carpenter ants feeding on the nectaries of my Castor bean plant.

Attached Image:

Nice shots and interesting info.


Thanks for sharing,
Robert