APAKAH SEMUT HEWAN YANG DISKRIMINATIF? (ARE ANTS DISCRIMINATING?)

Abstract

Ants are animals with large populations, especially in Indonesia which is a
tropical climate region. With such uncountable number of it, ants can be seen
anywhere, including human living environment. Ants are often associated with the
terms hard worker, colony, and care to the others. There comes a question from that
statement, “are
ants discriminating its own friends?”. This thing stirred researchers desire to
prove its truth scientifically. As for that purpose of this study is to verify the said
problem which is known through the ants’ concern act to two things at once, trapped
ants and dead ants. Data collection method in this study is direct observation to the
ants’ behavior, and they are carpenter ants (Camponotus pennsylvanicus) and green
tree ants (Oecophylla smaragdina). From this study the results obtained are evidence
that ants indeed are discriminating animals, because ants can only recognize its own
colony’s pheromones. Even when ants from different kinds were put in one closed
area, they tended to fight. Along with the result, we hope people can get the moral
lesson to not to imitate the discriminating behavior of ants.