Ants are fascinating and remarkably intelligent insects who live in complex social groups called colonies.1,2 When I first learned about ant expert Armin Schieb's beautifully illustrated and easy-to-read new book, The Ant Collective: Inside the World of an Ant Colony, I couldn't wait to open it. In my humble opinion it is one of the best books about these amazing beings. It also reminded me of the ways in which honey bees socially interact in their large and complex colonies. Here is what Armin had to say about his landmark book.

Marc Bekoff: Why did you write The Ant Collective?

Armin Schieb: The book was created as a final project for my illustration degree. Initially, it was supposed to deal with swarm intelligence, until I discovered a National Geographic photo report on South American driver ants, which sparked my interest in ants. The photographs by Mark W. Moffet impressed me with their strange, alien atmosphere and because the ants were not only depicted but also shown in their social activities. This created the impression that the ants were part of an intelligent and organized society. Further research led me to the book The Social Life of Ants by Klaus Dumpert, which deals with the diverse social behaviour of ants in detail. The book fascinated me greatly and I decided to illustrate swarm intelligence using the example of an ant species.

I chose the monogynous form of the red wood ant (Formica rufa) for several reasons: it is one of the most highly developed ant species and has versatile social behaviour. In contrast to exotic species, the appearance of wood ants is inconspicuous, which suited my intention to focus on their behaviour. They are also well-researched and, as........

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