Antisocial behaviour. Or not.

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 14:47:58 +0000

What is it about ants? No, I mean it. In all my writing over the years, ants have been a frequent and nearly beloved subject. Some, when set down in a maze and faced with a choice, tend to turn left. Some have walked on stilts while compatriots have had their legs (sadly) trimmed. The late great myrmecologist, EO Wilson, described a charming experiment in which a live ant, smeared with pheromones only exuded at death, was promptly ferried - frantically waggling limbs notwithstanding - by his mates from the nest and dumped outside.