Simpoh Air with Worker Ants
Dillenia suffruticosa
1.42549, 103.774
Field Notes
Description:
This is sort of hard to categorize. There are a lot of different species in this picture. The main focus are the ants, which you can see in the fertilized flower. They have a mutualistic relationship with the flower. They're either lapping up the nectar, dispersing the seeds, or pollinating the flower. Please tell me what your opinion is, as I have this in a mission. I can see 18 ants in this picture.
The flower is pinkish, and you can see two tan fruits above it, as well as a fertilized egg sac.
Note also the grasshopper in the right side of the picture, possibly waiting to eat the ants.
Habitat:
This was found in a secondary rainforest on a sunny day in Singapore. It was given partial shade by medium-size trees above it. I found these bugs resting on a tree, about 10 feet off the ground.
Comments (3)