ABSTRACT
Ants communicate food source location by laying chemical trails. The trails also function to recruit additional colony members to the the food, thus maximizing food exploitation. This chapter aims to study trail laying behavior and recruitment in the fire ant, Solenopsis, under laboratory conditions. Originally introduced into this country from South America, the imported fire ant, Solenopsisinvicta Buren, is an important pest in the southern United States from the Carolinas to Texas. Solenopsis richteri Buren is a closely related red form with a much more restricted range in Mississippi and Alabama. As an added challenge, place an anesthetized worker ant under a dissecting microscope and cross its antennae. Carefully glue the antennae together using melted beeswax. When students have successfully prepared foraging ants, attempt to get the ants to follow an artificial trail.
