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Photo#23930
SAME SPECIES ? - Prenolepis imparis

SAME SPECIES ? - Prenolepis imparis
Pennsylvania, USA
they seemed to be feeding which was on the plant? aphid secretions? lol! i have no idea

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SAME SPECIES ? - Prenolepis imparis SAME SPECIES ? - Prenolepis imparis

Moved
Moved from Ants.

Same species (False Honey Ant, Prenolepis imparis)
Your insight was correct, the special hairiness is one hallmark for this ant, combined with its "hourglass" shaped thorax. This species is really fond of sweet liquids of all kinds, including exsudates on fern leaves, which is quite new for me.

Extrafloral nectaries.
Many plants have "extrafloral nectaries" where insects can harvest nectar and other sweet secretions in exchange for defending the plant from herbivores. Might be what is happening here, don't know for sure.

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