Spit, Goo, and Honey Pots

Spit, goo, and honey pots. Is this some kind of weird recipe? Or perhaps, the answer to some silly joke? Not quite. These are Mother Nature’s ways of giving bugs the means to protect themselves.

Spit Protection 
The Frog Hopper larva spits to protect itself. The bubbly froth is known as ―cuckoo-spit‖ or ―snakespit.‖ This happens when the larvae, the immature form of a bug, blows air into a liquid from its rear end. This foamy froth keeps the larvae from drying out. It also hides them from the eyes of predators, and tastes pretty bad if bitten into. Predators think twice before taking a bite. Look for it on plant stems. Bombs Away!

The termite’s worst enemy is the ant. To stop ants from attacking, some termites are protected by exploding soldiers. These guys swell up and burst open to stop an invasion. And it works! The sticky, slimy goo covers the enemy ants, stopping them in their tracks. Other termites have a special jaw. They just pick up the attacking ant and flick it into the air.

A Tasty Snack? 

Honey pot ants feed on nectar. But what do they do in the dry season when there is no nectar available? They go to their living warehouses, also known as repletes (re-pleets). Repletes are special ants that are constantly fed by the worker ants. Repletes get so big they almost burst. But before this happens, the hungry ants will feed from them. So nobody goes hungry. In fact, aboriginal tribes in Australia will raid these nests in search of honey pot ants. They pop these tasty ants into their mouths for a sweet treat.