NEUROETHOLOGY OF ANTS

Despite the wealth of information produced by the flourishing ethology of ants, little is known about the neural mechanisms that control the ir behavior. This review summarizes the starting points of an emerging field of ant neuroethology which so far has mainly been concerned wit h basic sensory and motor information processing. Projects involving b ehavioral modulation by visual and mechanosensory input as well as ref lex pathways, motor control, and the structure and function of ant mus cles are illustrated. The distinct structural properties of the ant br ain suggest challenging perspectives that address the higher ''cogniti ve'' functions which set the ants apart from socially less highly orga nized insects.