9 : 0 0 , ▁with ▁approximately ▁three ▁to ▁five ▁ra ids ▁occurr ing ▁per ▁day . ▁There ▁are ▁also ▁observations ▁of ▁a ▁third ▁ra iding ▁activity ▁window ▁during ▁the ▁night ▁between ▁ 2 2 : 0 0 – 2 : 0 0 , ▁although ▁this ▁phase ▁has ▁been ▁poor ly ▁studied . ▁Meg ap on era ▁anal is ▁ra ids ▁focus ▁sole ly ▁on ▁term ites ▁from ▁the ▁sub family ▁Mac ro ter mit inae ▁and ▁generally ▁consist ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 ▁to ▁ 5 0 0 ▁an ts . ▁ ▁The ▁general ▁for aging ▁pattern ▁of ▁M . ▁anal is ▁starts ▁with ▁sc out ▁an ts ▁searching ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁approximately ▁ ▁around ▁the ▁nest ▁for ▁term ite ▁for aging ▁sites . ▁This ▁searching ▁phase ▁can ▁last ▁up ▁to ▁one ▁hour , ▁and ▁if ▁it ▁is ▁un success ful ▁the ▁sc out ▁returns ▁to ▁the ▁nest ▁by ▁a ▁circuit ous ▁route . ▁If ▁a ▁sc out ▁ant ▁finds ▁a ▁potential ▁site , ▁it ▁will ▁start ▁to ▁investigate ▁it ▁without ▁getting ▁into ▁contact ▁with ▁the ▁term ites ▁or ▁entering ▁the ▁gall eries , ▁before ▁returning ▁by ▁the ▁quick est ▁route ▁to ▁rec ruit ▁its ▁nest m ates ▁to ▁conduct ▁a ▁ra id . ▁While ▁the ▁quick est ▁route ▁is ▁often ▁also ▁the ▁short est , ▁this ▁is ▁not ▁always ▁the ▁case . ▁Sc outs ▁have ▁been ▁observed ▁to ▁use ▁devi ations ▁on ▁open ▁terrain ▁( like ▁paths ) ▁on ▁which ▁they ▁can ▁run ▁twice ▁as ▁fast ▁to ▁reduce ▁travel ▁time ▁on