Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
A Bristle Thistle (Cirsium horridulum) attracts lots of different insects at Sheldon Lake State Park, in Houston, TX, USA. Two Red Fire Ants (Solenopsis invicta) gather two others who are no longer moving. (I'm not sure what caused the Ants to stop moving.) I assume the Fire Ants were attracted to Yellow Aphids (family Aphididae) gathered on the flower head, probably feeding from the flowers. A Beautiful Clown Weevil (Eudiagogus pulcher) comes along, and the Aphids and Ants and a Peppered Jumping Spider (Pelegrina galathea) move aside as the Weevil comes near them. The Weevil normally would be interested in Sesbania plants and might be searching for one, but it was too early in the year for Sesbania plants to have grown much yet.
0:00 Fire Ants gather their sisters
0:38 Aphids just hang out
0:57 Clown Weevil crawls around as other insects avoid it
A Bristle Thistle (Cirsium horridulum) attracts lots of different insects at Sheldon Lake State Park, in Houston, TX, USA. Two Red Fire Ants (Solenopsis invicta) gather two others who are no longer moving. (I'm not sure what caused the Ants to stop moving.) I assume the Fire Ants were attracted to Yellow Aphids (family Aphididae) gathered on the flower head, probably feeding from the flowers. A Beautiful Clown Weevil (Eudiagogus pulcher) comes along, and the Aphids and Ants and a Peppered Jumping Spider (Pelegrina galathea) move aside as the Weevil comes near them. The Weevil normally would be interested in Sesbania plants and might be searching for one, but it was too early in the year for Sesbania plants to have grown much yet.
0:00 Fire Ants gather their sisters
0:38 Aphids just hang out
0:57 Clown Weevil crawls around as other insects avoid it
