Study
Are ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) capable of self recognition?
Cammaerts, Marie-Claire; Cammaerts, Roger
Journal of Science, 2015
Ants were marked with a small blue dot on the head and given access to a mirror, and their self-directed behaviour was recorded.
- Studied in
- Myrmica sabuleti, Myrmica ruginodis
- Sample size
- small numbers of individually tested ants
The authors reported that marked ants touched the mark more often when a mirror was present.
What it means
The authors' reading, and ours. Where they differ, that difference is the point.
How the authors put it
The authors suggested ants may possess a form of self-recognition.
How NatureHQ reads it
This paper circulates widely as "ants pass the mirror test" and it does not support that. It appeared in a venue with an unclear peer-review process, used very small samples, and has not been independently replicated. NatureHQ records it because a reader who has met the claim deserves to know where it comes from and why specialists do not accept it — not because it is evidence for anything.
- Publication venue with unclear or absent peer review.
- Very small samples and subjective behavioural scoring.
- No independent replication.
- Mark-directed behaviour in an insect has plausible non-cognitive explanations, including simple irritation.
What this study is used for on NatureHQ
One study can inform several subjects. Here is everywhere this one is cited.
Published by: Science and news media
Search for this paper by title and author
Reference details for this record were entered editorially and have not been confirmed against a bibliographic register. The title, authors, journal and year are enough to locate the paper; we would rather say this than publish an identifier we have not verified.
A note on this reference: Neither Crossref nor OpenAlex indexes this venue, and no DOI could be resolved. NatureHQ cites the paper only to document that a widely repeated claim rests on it; the absence of an indexed record is part of why the claim is rated as it is.
NatureHQ summarises research in its own words and does not reproduce published text. Reviewed 2026-08-09.