chemical-communication
The ants primarily communicate through pheromones, which influences Portia's strategies for stealth and interaction with them.
2 chapters across 1 book
Children of Time (2015)Adrian Tchaikovsky
In this chapter, Portia and her companions navigate a landscape dominated by a super-colony of ants, which poses a potential threat to their own species. They observe the ants' sophisticated agricultural practices and their complex social structure, prompting Portia to strategize on how to gather information for her kin back home while avoiding conflict.
In this chapter, Portia and her fellow spiders prepare for a dangerous infiltration of an ant colony, utilizing beetle armor and a complex chemical strategy to mask their presence. As they approach the formidable fortress of the ants, they grapple with fear and the weight of their mission, ultimately driven by a mysterious celestial event that they interpret as a sign of favor from a higher power.