A new experimental setup for studying ants and similar-sized insects - Insectes Sociaux
A new experimental setup for studying ants and similar-sized insects - Insectes Sociaux
Laboratory studies on insects face the dual challenge of maintaining organisms under artificial conditions, and in reduced spaces while mimicking the species’ ecological requirements as much as possible. Over decades, myrmecologists have developed and continuously improved laboratory methods and art...
In this paper, they show how small insects reared in a very simple chamber can survive in it as long as insects that are kept in a more traditional enclosure.
The figure of their chamber with 10 nests is this one:
A hole is made to the bottom of a petri dish, a peice of plaster placed such that it covers the hole, and a piece of sponge is used to connect the plaster to a water reservoir underneath. The connection to the water reservoir ensures that the ants have continuous access to water through the moistened plaster, while preventing the ants from accidentally drowning. In the petri dish, there is also a dark plastic film that the ants can use for cover.
The paper shows that ants can do well in this easy-to-care for chamber, and so this type of chamber can be used for experimental observations.