Summary
Tiny citrus psyllids feed on plant sap and produce sugary droplets that ants love -- so ants guard the psyllids like little cows. Deep Look shows a sweet deal that helps both bugs survive.
Viewer safety
All ages
Our rating is a quick teacher-to-teacher guide — preview before showing.
Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Talk about it
Citrus psyllids drink sugary sap and squirt out sweet leftover droplets. Ants eat the sweet stuff and, in return, chase away the psyllids' enemies. Making a treat the ants want is a trait that gives the psyllids bodyguards -- an advantage for staying safe.
- What do the psyllids make that the ants want?
- How do the ants help the psyllids in return?
- How does this trade give the psyllids a survival advantage?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: psyllid, ant, honeydew, advantage.
Try it: Draw psyllids making sweet droplets and ants guarding them. Write how each bug helps the other survive.