{"id":2286,"date":"2022-01-17T07:44:16","date_gmt":"2022-01-16T23:44:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/?p=2286"},"modified":"2023-09-19T20:13:08","modified_gmt":"2023-09-19T12:13:08","slug":"can-ants-hear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-hear\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Ants Hear? Are They Deaf?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Yes, ants can hear. They do, however, do so in a very different way from us humans. Ants are deaf to airborne sounds. Instead, they hear by detecting substrate-borne vibrations.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article we\u2019ll look deeper into how ants perceive sound as we discuss the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>How ants hear<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How ants use sound<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If and how ants produce sound<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/can-ants-hear-b-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"can ants hear\" class=\"wp-image-3308\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/can-ants-hear-b-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/can-ants-hear-b-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/can-ants-hear-b-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/can-ants-hear-b.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Image by <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/users\/fjcorado-1727916\/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=4387092\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Francis<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/users\/fjcorado-1727916\/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=4387092\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">c<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/users\/fjcorado-1727916\/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=4387092\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">o Corado<\/a> from <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=4387092\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_64 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-hear\/#How_Do_Ants_Hear\" title=\"How Do Ants Hear?\">How Do Ants Hear?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-hear\/#How_Do_Ants_Use_Sound\" title=\"How Do Ants Use Sound?\">How Do Ants Use Sound?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-hear\/#Alarm_or_Danger_Signal\" title=\"Alarm or Danger Signal\">Alarm or Danger Signal<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-hear\/#Mating_Signal\" title=\"Mating Signal\">Mating Signal<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-hear\/#Complement_to_Chemicals\" title=\"Complement to Chemicals\">Complement to Chemicals<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-hear\/#Do_Ants_Produce_Sound\" title=\"Do Ants Produce Sound?\">Do Ants Produce Sound?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-hear\/#Drumming\" title=\"Drumming\">Drumming<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-hear\/#Stridulation\" title=\"Stridulation\">Stridulation<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-hear\/#Related_Questions\" title=\"Related Questions\">Related Questions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-hear\/#Do_Ants_Have_Ears\" title=\"Do Ants Have Ears?\">Do Ants Have Ears?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-hear\/#How_Do_Ants_Communicate\" title=\"How Do Ants Communicate?\">How Do Ants Communicate?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-hear\/#Can_Ants_See\" title=\"Can Ants See?\">Can Ants See?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-hear\/#Summary_Can_Ants_Hear\" title=\"Summary: Can Ants Hear?\">Summary: Can Ants Hear?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Do_Ants_Hear\"><\/span>How Do Ants Hear?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ants don&#8217;t hear sounds the same way that we do. Without ears, ants are deaf to airborne sounds. Instead, <strong>they hear by detecting vibrations transmitted through solid objects<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They do so through the sensilla and subgenual organs found on their legs. These subgenual organs are the primary receptors for substrate-borne vibrations. They pick up vibrations and relay the information to the brain for processing. [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Subgenual_organ\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Subgenual_organ\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Do_Ants_Use_Sound\"><\/span>How Do Ants Use Sound?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ants make use of sound to communicate. They produce sounds or vibrations that <strong>send out different types of signals<\/strong>. These signals are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Alarm_or_Danger_Signal\"><\/span>Alarm or Danger Signal<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ants mostly use sound to send out <strong>alarm or danger signals<\/strong>. For example, Ants of the genus Atta use sound when they get buried and trapped. They do so to notify their nestmates and prompt them to initiate rescue digging.&nbsp;[<a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/BF02224023\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/BF02224023\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Carpenter ants also produce sound to notify their nestmates when they sense danger.&nbsp;[<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/4599095\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.jstor.org\/stable\/4599095\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">3<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mating_Signal\"><\/span>Mating Signal<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Young queens of Pogonomyrmex ants use sound as a mating signal. Specifically, they produce sound to send out the <strong>signal to stop mating<\/strong>. This informs the drones to stop pursuing them and allows them to escape from the swarm. [<a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/BF02227171\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/BF02227171\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">4<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Complement_to_Chemicals\"><\/span>Complement to Chemicals<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Studies have discovered that some ant species use sound to enhance chemical communication. Along with chemicals, these ants use sound as a <strong>mechanical signal to initiate nest-moving<\/strong>.&nbsp;[<a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/BF00379578\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007\/BF00379578\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">5<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_Ants_Produce_Sound\"><\/span>Do Ants Produce Sound?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, ants do produce sound. They do so through <strong>drumming and stridulation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Drumming\"><\/span>Drumming<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Drummer Ants\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/j7ZXHdAvhiA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Drumming is a form of sound production mostly found in social insects that live in wooden nests. It\u2019s used as an alarm signal and is usually produced when there\u2019s danger or a disturbance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To drum, ants <strong>rock violently back and forth to strike the substrate with their bodies<\/strong>. This produces vibrations that trigger a reaction from their colony mates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Stridulation\"><\/span>Stridulation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Trachymyrmex Septentrionalis: Stridulation\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9YCjoIzgrt8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Stridulation is a more sophisticated sound-producing behavior. It\u2019s used to send out alarm and mating signals and as a complement to chemicals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To stridulate ants <strong>move and rub segments of their gaster together<\/strong>. They use one segment of the gaster like a scraper to rub a file in another. This results in a chirp-like sound that they use to convey information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Questions\"><\/span>Related Questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/can-ants-hear-2-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2293\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/can-ants-hear-2-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/can-ants-hear-2-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/can-ants-hear-2-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/can-ants-hear-2.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Image by <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/users\/fjcorado-1727916\/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=4387092\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Francisco Corado<\/a> from <a href=\"https:\/\/pixabay.com\/?utm_source=link-attribution&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=image&amp;utm_content=4387092\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Pixabay<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_Ants_Have_Ears\"><\/span>Do Ants Have Ears?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Like many invertebrates, <strong>ants don\u2019t have ears.<\/strong> Such is why they can\u2019t detect sound in the same way that we humans do. They hear using vibrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Do_Ants_Communicate\"><\/span>How Do Ants Communicate?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ants mostly communicate using <strong>scent and chemical signals called pheromones<\/strong>. However,&nbsp;they may also communicate using body language, touch, and sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See this article to learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-do-ants-communicate\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/how-do-ants-communicate\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">how ants communicate<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_Ants_See\"><\/span>Can Ants See?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Most ant species can see.<\/strong> Ants generally have a visual system composed of compound eyes and ocelli. These allow them to detect movement, light, and color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, their vision isn&#8217;t as developed as ours. Some ants even have no eyes at all and are completely blind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out this article to learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-see\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-see\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ants and their vision<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Summary_Can_Ants_Hear\"><\/span>Summary: Can Ants Hear?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>To summarize, yes ants can hear. Despite their lack of ears, ants have developed their own system to detect and decode sound.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While they can&#8217;t detect sound waves from the air, they can hear through vibrations. They do so through their subgenual organs which detect vibrations passing through solids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With that, ants are capable of using sound to communicate. In fact, they produce sound to send out alarm, mating, and recruitment signals.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Yes, ants can hear. They do, however, do so in a very different way from us humans. Ants are deaf to airborne sounds. Instead, they hear by detecting substrate-borne vibrations. In this article we\u2019ll look deeper into how ants perceive sound as we discuss the following: How Do Ants Hear? Ants don&#8217;t hear sounds the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3308,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2286"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2286"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2286\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3741,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2286\/revisions\/3741"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3308"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2286"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2286"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2286"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}