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Science 19 March 1971:
Vol. 171. no. 3976, pp. 1149 - 1151
DOI: 10.1126/science.171.3976.1149
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Articles

Homing in the Harvester Ant Pogonomyrmex badius

Bert HÖlldobler 1

1 Biological Laboratories, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138

During homing, the harvester ant Pogonomyrmex badius orients both to the sun and to chemical cues. Visual patterns are generally the less important. Trails laid from the secretion of Dufour's gland comprise the main chemical homing signal. This orientation mechanism assists foraging workers to return precisely to their own nests even when the nest populations are dense.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Canopy Orientation: A New Kind of Orientation in Ants.
B. HOLLDOBLER (1980)
Science 210, 86-88
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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)