Lasius arizonicus – desert cattle herder

Lasius arizonicus is like our flavus, only arizonicus. American, then. All lasiuses are lovers of drinking sweet secretions of aphids, it is half of their natural diet. But here’s the problem – where to get aphids in the Arizona desert? There are few plants there.

The clever ants found a way out: they made an alliance with the root mealybug, a distant relative of the common aphid. The root mealybug lives underground with the Lasius, sucking onto the roots of plants in their home and secreting a sugary substance. The ants drink it as a source of carbohydrates. When the anthill moves to a new location, the Lasius arizonicus workers grab the “milk cattle” with their mandibles and carry them with them. They wouldn’t leave a source of such an accessible syrup!