In Short-Range Recruitment (SRR) a scout releases a poison
gland secretion in the air immediately after discovering a large
prey item; nestmates less than 2m away are attracted.
If SRR does not attract enough nestmates the ant lays a
chemical trail with a poison gland secretion from the prey to
the nest; nestmates leave the nest and follow the trail toward
the prey. This is Long-Range Recruitment (LRR).
It is effective. In a series of experiments with 20 freshly
killed cockroaches placed randomly the were discovered within
several minutes (avg. 8.05min). 5-8 ants were quickly recruited
with SRR.
When LRR was used more ants showed up than was needed. The
extra ones returned to the nest. The ants do not try to estimate
the size.