Small ant visiting an extra-floral nectary on the underside of a fava bean stipule. Some people are alarmed by the presence of ants on their fava beans but that's only warranted if ants are farming aphids in large numbers. The nectaries also attract lady beetles and parasitic wasps, especially early in the season when flowers are scarce. #FavaBeans #BroadBeans #ViciaFaba #legumes #nectar #nectaries #garden #ants #botany #insects

Tracing the #evolution of ferns' surprisingly sweet defense strategy https://phys.org/news/2024-05-evolution-ferns-sweet-defense-strategy.html

#ConvergentEvolution of fern nectaries facilitated independent recruitment of ant-bodyguards from flowering plants https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-48646-x

"#ferns and flowering #plants independently evolved #nectaries, specialized structures that secrete sugary rewards to attract ant bodyguards, around the same time in the #Cretaceous period"