Be my bodyguard and have a drink! Said the vetch to the ant.
Common vetch plants (Vicia sativa) are much favoured by ants. The reason being that they have tiny glands – called extrafloral nectaries – which produce a nectar solution which the ants imbibe. The plants provide the ants with food and in return the ants protect the plant from being eaten by other insects. A mutualistic…