A Field Study of the Ant Trail Phenomenon

 

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 1984, Volume 5

Abstract

In this exercise, students place food at various distances from an ant hill or nest. Ants are then observes as they find the bait and lead other ants to it. At the completion of the exercise, students construct a graph which shows the establishment of trails, recruitment of workers, and depletion of the bait.

Keywords:  insect communication, trail phermone, phermone, insect territoriality, insect behavior, ant trails, ants, foraging activity

Clemson University (1983)