How do ants primarily perceive smell?

Ants primarily perceive smell using their antennae, which are specifically adapted for detecting chemical signals in their environment. The antennae are equipped with numerous sensory receptors that are sensitive to pheromones and other odor molecules. This ability allows ants to communicate with each other, locate food, find their way back to the colony, and recognize nestmates.

The other options do not accurately reflect how ants detect odors. For example, while eyes are responsible for vision, they do not play a role in olfactory perception. Ants do not primarily use their legs for smelling, although they can pick up some chemical cues through contact, it is not their main method of smell detection. Similarly, tasting the air is not a function that accurately describes how ants perceive smells; instead, they analyze chemicals through their highly sensitive antennae.