Photo by javier_aznar_photography | In Ecuador's Amazon rainforest, an ant protects an adult female treehopper (at right) that takes care of an egg mass. Thanks to a diet rich in sap, treehoppers produce a tasty honeydew. The treehoppers exchange this substance with the ants for protection from other insects or predators. I spent days trying to take this image—the ants would not stop moving. In the end, I captured both parental care and mutualism in a single frame. Follow javier_aznar_photography to see the micro world surrounding us. #treehoppers #ant #mutualism #wildlife