ANTS

Unusual to find them in thistles but they do like nectar. You will find them all over garden knapweed flowers and they will try to swarm any bumblebee that lands on 'their' bloom. The bees just shrug them off but they keep trying to defend their patch.

They where feeding on the black fly sucking on the stems as well, well on the black fly secretions. It looked like they where farming and defending them.