The Predatory Relationship Between Ants and Cicada
Explanation:
A predator is a living being which kills other organisms so as to obtain its own food. Generally, a predator preys on weaker organisms for sustenance. On the other hand, a prey is an organism that is weaker and inferior to the predator and gets killed by it. In the scenario mentioned, a group of ants attacking a cicada, feeding on it, and eventually killing it clearly demonstrates a predatory relationship between the ants and the cicada.
The response displayed by the ants towards the cicada is predatory as they are hunting and consuming the cicada as food. This relationship cannot be classified as parasitic, as the ants are not causing harm or disease to the cicada. Instead, they are simply fulfilling their nutritional requirements through predation, similar to how other predators in the ecosystem obtain their sustenance.