It took several days for Javier to capture this precise moment. ‘When a bee touched a nymph on the back of the abdomen with its antennae,’ he explains, ‘the nymph was stimulated to release a drop of honeydew, which the bee quickly sucked in’. The behaviour has rarely been observed in such detail, an intricate but easily missed story.
Juvenile treehoppers, or nymphs, feed on sugary plant sap, and expel any excess from the ends of their abdomens as a sweet liquid. This carbohydrate-rich secretion attracts stingless bees, who in return for sustenance protect the treehoppers from predators. They also reduce the risk of fungal attack by cleaning up excess honeydew.
Spain
Javier is a Spanish biologist and wildlife and conservation photographer who focuses on the natural history, science and conservation of smaller animals. He is an Emerging League Photographer at the International League of Conservation Photographers and believes that the power of photography can be used to help conserve our planet and the animals and plants that live on it.
Help us harness the power of photography to advance scientific knowledge, spread awareness of important issues and nurture a global love for nature.
