News in Brief Animals

Ant antennae provide chemical ID

Meat ants, Iridomyrmex purpureus

Meat ants, Iridomyrmex purpureus, use their antennae to send and receive chemical signals.  

Steve Shattuck/CSIRO (CC BY 3.0)

By Sarah Schwartz

- More than 2 years ago

Ant antennae don’t just receive chemical signals — they send signals, too.

Colonies of ants communicate through chemical cues produced all over their bodies. Studies have shown that ants use their antennae to identify their own nest mates and potential invaders.