Lisa Paul, age 11, of Tucson, Ariz., for her question:
DO ANTS TALK TO EACH OTHER?
Ants, of course, do not utter words as we do. Neither do they growl or grunt, bark or chirp. Yet their busy colony is a living example of well run teamwork. Obviously this calls for a very elaborate system of communication between groups and individuals.
So far as we know, the insect world has no verbal language and wastes no time on gabby conversations. Yet the members of each species have nonverbal ways to communicate with each other, and when necessary they can interpret certain signals of other species. Among ants and most other insects, messages are conveyed by chemical odors and interpreted by the sensitive antennae.
Sometimes they accidentally convey a message to human observers. For example, a single file of scurrying ants is a telltale pointer leading between the nest and a supply of food. This program starts when a scouting ant finds food. She hurries straight home, pausing now and then to press her tummy to the ground.
This releases a minidrop of scented chemical from a gland in her tail section. Back at the nest, she prances around to attract a team of food foragers. They scurry off to follow the scent trail. The odor lasts a short time, otherwise it would confuse future foraging expeditions.
Antennae are even more important in the ant system of communication. These sensitive feelers can detect a wide range of key odors just by touching this and that. What's more, a couple of ants can swap information or make requests merely by entwining their antennae.
These sensitive antennae are divided into segments ¬and at least the first five segments have specialized communication talents. The top segment can detect the scent of an ant's own nest and distinguish it from the nests of other ants. The second segment recognizes the odor of sister ants of her own family.
The third segment is tuned to her own special odor. This enables an ant to lay a scent trail and retrace her steps to find her way home. This program starts when a scouting ant finds food. She hurries straight home, pausing now and then to press her tummy to the ground.
This releases a minidrop of scented chemical from a gland in her tail section. Back at the nest, she prances around to attract a team of food foraqers. They scurry off to follow the scent trail. The odor lasts a short time, otherwise it would confuse future foraging expeditions.
Antennae are even more important in the ant system of communication. These sensitive feelers can detect a wide range of key odors just by touching this and that. What's more, a couple of ants can swap information or make requests merely by entwining their antennae.
These sensitive antennae are divided into segments ¬and at least the first five segments have specialized communication talents. The top segment can detect the scent of an ant's own nest and distinguish it from the nests of other ants. The second segment recognizes the odor of sister ants of her own family.
The third segment is tuned to her own special odor. This enables an ant to lay a scent trail and retrace her steps to find her way home. The fourth and fifth segments are used by teams of ants to communicate information about bringing up the babies.
An ant with a full tummy is always willing to share with a member of her family. When a sister ant taps her antenna in a certain way, she upchucks a helping of food. All this is part of the elaborate language that ants use to communicate ¬without words or sounds of any sort.