In a long text about a foraging ant, would it be correct to refer to the ant always as "she" instead of "it"? For example,
She wanders aimlessly until she finds a pheromone trail.
A foraging ant is always a female, so technically it would be correct. However, wouldn't that seem odd to the layperson?
The ant in question is not anthropomorphized at all.
Best Answer
Here is an excerpt from The Ants, the monumental, 732-page reference on every major topic in the scientific study of ants, by Bert Hölldobler and E.O. Wilson, two of the world's leading authorities on ants:
In formal settings, it is perfectly normal and expected to use the pronouns he, she, her, and him to refer to non-human animals when their gender is known. No anthropomorphism is implied.
See also the Chicago Manual of Style.