The #slave #ant #Formica #fusca (#Formicinae) is seen here on common #tansy collecting #honeydew from and guarding the #aphid #Metopeurum #fuscoviride. The #workers of this ant #species, which builds #polygynous subterranean nests, are often exploited by other species for nest building. As C. Carere et al. (2018) found, there is a linear link between #individual and #collective #behavior.

©#StefanFWirth Berlin 2025

Ref
C. Carere et al. (2018)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2018.07.009

#Photos
©S F. Wirth 2025

The pink #tansyaphid #Metopeurum #fuscoviride is native to Europe and prefers forming large #colonies on #tansy #Tanacetum #vulgare.This aphid is very attractive for #ants, as one aphid has a high #honeydew #production with in average 1 milligram of honeydew per hour. Authors M. K. Fischer et al. (2002) found the #aminoacid #concentration in honeydew increasing with #aphid age.

© #StefanFWirth #Berlin 2025

Ref
M. K. Fischer et al. (2002)
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-1910(01)00179-2

#Photos
© S F. Wirth 2025

Picked a green flesh honeydew melon to test. The tendril was dried out but that's not saying much since most of the vines for these melons are not looking very good. The flesh was firm and green, the seeds looked full and mature, the taste was cucumber like.

I made refrigerator pickled melon. 1:1 apple cider vinegar and sugar just cold mixed. They taste pretty good but just about anything in this pickle juice would. 😁

#melons #honeydew #harvest #gardening #GrowYourOwn #MastodonOnly #CCBYNCND

Some garden pics from when I was standing around waiting for a hummingbird that was almost in my face earlier when I didn't have a camera while looking for beans to pick.

Besides the runner bean flowers with no bird.. The tallest Sweet Marconi pepper plant, the acorn squash and melons in the ground patch with the potatoes beyond them, and the cucumbers.

#gardening #ScarletRunnerBeans #GrowYourOwn #peppers #squash #watermelon #honeydew #potatoes #ContainerGardening #garden #MastodonOnly