An informational analysis of antennal communication during trophallaxis in the ant Myrmica Rubra L

Trophallaxis by ants is accompanied by antennal movements which have an informational value. The succession of contacts permits the transmission of information for triggering, maintaining or stopping the exchange. The use of information theory indicates that antennal contacts during trophallaxis quantitatively transmit much less information than some other systems used by social insects (i.e. the dance of the bees or trails of Solenopsis). The information transferred by the signal is never more than 20%; the system is not appropriate to conduct important messages but belongs to a modulatory communication system.