in this shot, members of the same ant group and a simultaneous brood of newly stripped down aphids (see – 1108 whiskered ants & quasi aphids 6790.jpg) . i’m not sure what the ants’ role in this is: they seem only concerned to touch the aphids up and collect substance from them to the right of branch is a group of four ants, a sloughing aphid ( ? ) and a number of white fluid deposits in lines. what the aphids get is unclear. as the ants appear to be stingless and not agressive, defense of the aphids would not be a function of the ants. the ants’ attention to the aphids continues after the latter have hardened up.