Antennation

Definition

The act of touching or tapping with the antennae; a tactile and chemosensory interaction in which one arthropod contacts another individual or a substrate using its antennae to exchange chemical signals, assess identity, or mediate social behavior.

Etymology

From Latin antenna (sail yard, by extension sensory appendage) + -ation (process or action)

Example

In honey bee colonies, workers perform antennation on returning foragers to assess nectar quality via cuticular hydrocarbons before deciding whether to perform the tremble dance or waggle dance.

Synonyms

• antennal contact
• antennal tapping

Related Terms

• antenna
• chemoreception
• tactile communication
• cuticular hydrocarbons
• nestmate recognition
• Trophallaxis

Usage Notes

Distinguish from passive antennal movement; antennation implies directed, purposeful contact. Common in social insects for recognition, aggression modulation, and food exchange initiation. Also occurs in solitary species during mate assessment or predator detection.