Question
Hello from Australia.
I have been watching ants in my garden and am absolutely fascinated by the way they have a little meeting everytime they meet one another.
What are they communicating and how is it done.
I think its via antenna but how ?
Many thanks for any info
Bill

Answer
Bill,

Ants form extremely complex social colonies that depend on chemical communication between nestmates. Mostly what these ants are doing when they meet is passing chemical messages about food sources. While there is no short answer to your question, there are some good books about ant social structure. Take a look at http://www.amazon.com/Ants-Bert-Holldobler/dp/0674040759/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_a (probably available at large libraries) and other books by E.O. Wilson.

Jack DeAngelis
http://www.livingwithbugs.com