Ants use tools and can tell which tool is better for the task

[DetlefK]

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003347216302925

• Some ant species use debris as tools to transport liquid food to the nest.
• When given the choice between different kinds of potential tools ants are selective.
• They show preference for materials with optimal handling and/or soaking properties.
• They can employ artificial materials novel to them, thus tool use is flexible in ants.

...

We observed the occurrence of tool use to transport liquid food in two ant species of the genus Aphaenogaster thus confirming previous observations ( Agbogba, 1985). More importantly, ant workers were selective in both the materials they chose and the baits that they exploited. Aphaenogaster subterranea was mainly tested with natural materials. Small soil grains were the most preferred item and leaf fragments, despite having a superior soaking power than soil grains, the least preferred item. Ants showed a remarkable preference for sponges despite being novel (they were the only artificial material tested in this species). Interestingly, ant workers in more than 80% of the trials broke the sponges into smaller fragments, presumably to facilitate handling. Once tools were dropped into the baits, ants behaved differently depending on the bait's viscosity (honey-water or pure honey). Imbibed small soil grains were transported to the nest in the highest numbers and faster than other tool types from honey-water baits, while sponges were the preferred transported tools from the honey baits (small soil grains were the second preferred tool to be brought to the nest). Additionally, ants threw many fewer items into water baits than into those baits that contained honey.

Aphaenogaster senilis could choose among six materials that differed in terms of soaking power (paper, sponges, artificial foam, twigs, sting and parafilm). It is likely that ants of this species, which live in sandy areas, were unfamiliar with most of these materials. Initially, A. senilis showed no preference for any of the tools to drop into the baits, although paper was transported faster to the bait than the artificial foam. However, along trials, ants significantly preferred dropping paper and sponges into the baits, thus choosing in accordance with the tools' soaking properties. A similar pattern was observed for tool transport to the nest: ants developed a preference for paper, followed by sponges, thus optimizing their foraging effort by using the tools with the best soaking properties and ease of grasping compared to other tool types.

[CrispyQ]

1. Fascinating!

Thanks for sharing.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Wow. We have to reset our perceptions with this one. Thank you.

[tclambert]

3. But they don't have thumbs!

They told me in grade school we were the only tool users 'cause we gots thumbs. You callin' Mrs. Weaver a liar?

[DetlefK]

4. If they are man-eating ants, they do have thumbs.

[Big_K]

5. REALLY? No one has posted this yet?

[Moostache]

7. My exact first thought...LOL (n/t)

[Solly Mack]

6. I sit and watch ants from time to time. They're fascinating!

Attacking caterpillars and taking them back to the hill.

I've seen trains of ants become a ladder by linking together and lifting a segment up to reach something higher. Other ants crawled up the ant ladder to reach a leaf or flower.

[WilsonsWarbler]

8. Thanks for posting this.

So many creatures are far more intelligent than we have realized.