My daughter watched an animation about ants and asked me: What are ants’ antennae for?

Ants have very flexible antennae that serve as their eyes and noses. Ants possess a pair of compound eyes, but their vision is not very good; they rely mainly on their antennae to perceive the world around them. Through these antennae, ants can detect the size, shape, and hardness of obstacles and food in front of them – in this way, the antennae function as eyes. Ants’ antennae can detect and distinguish odors with great sensitivity, identifying the intensity of various smells, the direction from which they come, and how far away they are. Ants can also pass messages to their peers through their antennae. Ants touch their antennae against each other; it may seem like they are fighting, but in fact they are telling one another where food is located or other relevant information. As they pass the message on from one to ten and from ten to a hundred, an army of ants will soon arrive to help.

Functions of ant antennae: 1. A highly sensitive sense of smell, as ants rely on their antennae to find food, navigate, and communicate with their peers. 2. A keen sense of hearing, which helps ants receive information from the outside world and avoid danger. 3. Motor functions: sensing one’s spatial position and maintaining body balance; ants without antennae are unable to move even on a flat surface.