Ant Behavior and Food

In this lesson, students carry out an experiment to determine if live harvester ants prefer sweet or sour food, and to observe ant behavior and the external structures they use to eat food.

• Ants are a kind of social insect, and they use their different body parts to help them get food and communicate with one another. 

• What type of animal is an ant? 
• Why are ants considered social insects? 
• Why is communication important for ants? 
• How do ants use their body parts to communicate? 
• How do ants work together to get food?
• Why are ants often attracted to sugary foods? 
• What parts of an ant’s body taste food?
  
  

Misconception: The different parts of an animal are random and serve no purpose.

Fact: An animal has different parts (structures) that it uses to help it access what it needs to survive, grow, and develop.

Abdomen:  the back segment of an insect where the stomach is; some insects also have stingers here

Animal: a living thing that needs to eat other living things for energy, breathes oxygen, and undergoes growth and reproduction

Antennae: body parts of insects that are used to smell, touch, and taste things

Colony: a group of insects living together in one space; ants, bees, and wasps live in colonies

Communicate: to share information with

Head: the front segment of an insect where the antennae, mouthparts, and eyes are found

Insect: an animal with an exoskeleton, six legs, and three body segments (head, thorax, and abdomen)

Thorax: the middle segment of an insect where the legs and wings are found

Living Together

Ants are social animals. They live in groups called colonies. Some ant colonies have millions of ants in them. Different ants have different jobs in the colony. One ant is in charge of reproducing. This ant is the queen. Other ants get food for the colony. Some protect the colony. Some build tunnels. Others raise the young.

Working Together

Ants work together to find food. One ant leaves behind a trail. Other ants can smell it with their antennae. Pretty soon ants will move back and forth from the nest to the food. Ants carry food back to the nest using their jaws. Other ants in the nest can then share that food.

Ants and Sugar

Have you ever left something sugary on the ground? You might see a long line of ants moving toward it. Many ants love sugary foods. The sugar gives them a lot of energy very quickly.

Ants use their antennae to help them find sugary foods. Their antennae help them follow other ants to where the food is. Ants also use their feet to taste.

In the investigation portion of the lesson, students aim to determine whether harvester ants eat more sweet or sour food. Students design a question to ask for their experiment, draw a scientific diagram to represent the experiment, and come up with a hypothesis before they test it. Once they have gathered observational data from watching the ants eat the two food options, students draw a conclusion using the evidence and discuss their findings.