Ants Exhibit Memory-Based Aggression Toward Rivals

New research reveals that ants can learn from hostile encounters and adjust their aggression based on past experiences with other colonies.

Scientists at the University of Freiburg found that black garden ants remember bad experiences with rival colonies and act more aggressively toward them in future encounters.
The study demonstrated that ants use their sense of smell to recognize the unique chemical signatures of rival nests, associating specific scents with past aggression.
Repeated encounters with aggressive ants from a particular nest led to heightened hostility, while interactions with passive ants resulted in less aggression.
This behavior, known as the 'nasty neighbor effect,' is most pronounced with nearby colonies competing for shared resources, offering evolutionary advantages in territorial disputes.
Researchers plan to investigate whether ants adapt their olfactory receptors based on these experiences, potentially uncovering the physiological mechanisms behind this learning ability.