Marking an ant with a unique pattern of paint allows researchers to keep track of her activities in a laboratory colony.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA
Temnothorax rugatulus.  Ants in this laboratory nest are individually marked with dabs of paint to help researchers at the University of Arizona track their activities. 

Tucson, Arizona, USA
Temnothorax rugatulus.  Ants in this laboratory nest are individually marked with dabs of paint to help researchers at the University of Arizona track their activities. 

Tucson, Arizona, USA
Temnothorax rugatulus.  Ants in this laboratory nest are individually marked with dabs of paint to help researchers at the University of Arizona track their activities. As Temnothorax are hardy ants that adapt well to the laboratory, they are frequently used for studies of ant behavior.

Tucson, Arizona, USA
Temnothorax rugatulus.  Ants in this laboratory nest are individually marked with dabs of paint to help researchers at the University of Arizona track their activities. 

Tucson, Arizona, USA
Temnothorax rugatulus.  Ants in this laboratory nest are individually marked with dabs of paint to help researchers at the University of Arizona track their activities. As Temnothorax are hardy ants that adapt well to the laboratory, they are frequently used for studies of ant behavior.

Tucson, Arizona, USA
Temnothorax rugatulus.  Ants in this laboratory nest are individually marked with dabs of paint to help researchers at the University of Arizona track their activities. 

Tucson, Arizona, USA
Temnothorax rugatulus.  Ants in this laboratory nest are individually marked with dabs of paint to help researchers at the University of Arizona track their activities. 

Tucson, Arizona, USA
Temnothorax rugatulus.  Ants in this laboratory nest are individually marked with dabs of paint to help researchers at the University of Arizona track their activities. As Temnothorax are hardy ants that adapt well to the laboratory, they are frequently used for studies of ant behavior.

Tucson, Arizona, USA
Temnothorax rugatulus. Ants in this laboratory nest are individually marked with dabs of paint to help researchers at the University of Arizona track their activities. As Temnothorax are hardy ants that adapt well to the laboratory, they are frequently used for studies of ant behavior.

Tucson, Arizona, USA
Temnothorax rugatulus.  Ants in this laboratory nest are individually marked with dabs of paint to help researchers at the University of Arizona track their activities. As Temnothorax are hardy ants that adapt well to the laboratory, they are frequently used for studies of ant behavior.

Tucson, Arizona, USA
Temnothorax rugatulus. Ants in this laboratory nest are individually marked with dabs of paint to help researchers at the University of Arizona track their activities. As Temnothorax are hardy ants that adapt well to the laboratory, they are frequently used for studies of ant behavior.

Tucson, Arizona, USA
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all images and text © Alex Wild 2001-2013