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4.2 Can ants talk/communicate?
Yes. Ants often hold meetings. When an ant wants to attract the
attention of another ant, it taps that ant on the head with its
antennas/feelers. Ants communicate by chemical, touch, sound,
smell, and sight. --UMI
Ants also can relay sounds by tapping their body against a part
of the nest. I believe some carpenters do this. The other methods
involve jerking movements, sometimes one will pull another with
its mandibles (I've personally observed this with workers wanting
to move a queen from one place in nest to another).
Chemicals equally are important -- some release chemicals on
finding food (laying a trail back to food source) -- others when
they encounter a foreign nest. --Mr. Ant
Atta and Acromyrmex (leaf-cutters) have a stridulatory
organ. A sharp scraper rubs against a file of transverse
ridges. All acoustical alarms like stridulating or knocking
always comes together with chemical alarms. They do not work
by themselves, but as a compound together with the chemical
alarm. --Jinei
Ants are thought to communicate in a number of ways. This varies
from species to species, some using all of them, others relying
on one. Chemicals are used to relay messages as well as leave
trails for other ants to follow. This can lead to freshly killed
prey, a water source, nectar or other food source, insects which
can be farmed such as aphids, other ants which can be friendly
or hostile, or other insects and threats to the ants such as
termites. Touch, sound, smell, and sight can also be used.
--Richard Smith
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