International Journal of Research in Engineering and Applied Sciences

The Pharaoh ants Monomorium pharaonis were offered freshly dead mosquitoes and fragments of biscuits on the floor of a domestic house locating at Garia, West Bengal, India to note the foraging behaviour in respect to the foods offered. It is revealed that these ants are habituated to carry the food individually as well as in groups. In cases of individual food-carrying strategy they were seen to tear the mosquito and the biscuit fragments into small pieces but in group strategy either the mosquito specimens or the biscuit fragments were taken to the nest by pulling and pushing act. However, it is not clear, under what circumstances they decide to carry the food as such in a group or in small particles individually.