DURING experiments on the foraging methods of the ant Monomorium pharaonis (L.) in Nigeria, a well-defined response of worker ants to the dead bodies of workers of their own species has been observed.

We examined ant specimens from Bermuda representing 20 species: Brachymyrmex heeri Forel, B. obscurior Forel, Camponotus pennsylvanicus (De Geer), Cardiocondyla emeryi Forel, C. obscurior Wheeler, ...