Two workers of Liometopum apiculatum, transfer something small and white. One possibility is that this is a young scale insect of the type found on the maguey (agave) plants that are frequented by the ants. Like shepherds, the ants get food from the scale insects in the form of sweet liquids, the ants protect the insects, and potentially move some to start colonies on other maguey plants. Learning about the behavior and ecology of these insects helps the locals better manage their populations. The larvae of these ants, called escamoles, are an important cultural tradition and source of income for the local Hñahñu people. Photo taken on March 12, 2012, in Santiago de Anaya, Hidalgo, Mexico.