Laboratory study of the orientation mechanisms of f. pratensis retz. (hymenoptera, formicidae).

Ants are able to repeatedly reach a fixed point in the environment by means of external and/or internal orientation references. The orientation mechanisms of workers of F. pratensis was studied in laboratory controlled conditions. The video-recorded experiment involved a base configuration in which the workers associated the position of the food source with that of a visual signal. The experimental sessions involved a change of some variables (food source, visual and chemical signals) and measurement of the number of ants arriving at two platforms associated with the visual signals. The data were analysed by the χ2-test. Our study shows that chemical signal is an information able to change the behaviour of F. pratensis workers. To better understand the importance of visual and idiothetic information instead, further investigation will be necessary.