In the world, no species lives in isolation; the relationships between each species have their own unique methods. Their collective living is interconnected through “chemical language.”
The “chemical language” of ants is known as pheromones. Pheromones are chemical substances secreted outside the body by certain glands of the ant. When foraging, ants leave pheromones along their path, allowing their companions to follow the scent to know where to assist in gathering food. Other ants do the same, creating a “scent corridor,” through which a line of ants transports food back to the nest. Ants can also use scent to distinguish between their own kind and others. If an ant accidentally enters the wrong nest, its life is certainly at risk.
Chimpanzees communicate with one another through vocalizations. When one chimpanzee spots fruit in a tree, it will call out loudly to summon its companions to come and eat. Similarly, when it encounters a threat, it will call for help and support from others.
Insects produce sounds, often to express emotions, attract mates, or signal danger. The abdomen of a cicada contains an air sac, with one side being a membrane—air moving within the sac causes the membrane to vibrate, producing the “song of the cicada in the summer night.” Grasshoppers produce sounds by rubbing their legs against their wings. Crickets, on the other hand, rub their wings together to call their mates.
Bees use dance to communicate and invite each other to collect nectar. Austrian biologist Fritzsche conducted extensive research on bees and discovered that they have two main dance patterns: the round dance and the waggle dance. Forager bees always perform a dance upon returning: if they dance in a round pattern, other worker bees will know that food is about 100 meters from the nest. If they perform the waggle dance, it indicates that the food source is farther away; the further it is, the faster and longer they dance.
