• Rose Thorne(She/Her)@lemm.ee
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    1 year ago

    They do! Well, at least certain species do. They groom the aphids to harvest a sweet excretion.

    It’s a really neat relationship.

    • pjhenry1216@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      I mean, it’s not just any excretion. It’s a byproduct of sorts of the aphids digestive system.

      From wikipedia on “Honeydew (secretion)”:

      When their mouthpart penetrates the phloem, the sugary, high-pressure liquid is forced out of the anus of the aphid.