Shimon ben Halafta, a sage from the Talmudic period, is credited with conducting an interesting experiment to understand the social patterns of ants, as recorded in the ancient Jewish texts. The experiment is narrated in Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers) and the Talmud, albeit more as a fable than a scientifically rigorous inquiry, but it provides fascinating insight into historical observation of animal behavior.

Experiment Overview:

• Objective: To observe the social behavior and work ethic of ants, particularly their fidelity and honesty.
• Method: Shimon ben Halafta placed bread crumbs near the entrance of an ant colony. He marked a single ant with a dab of paint and observed its behavior.
• Observation: The marked ant took a piece of bread to the colony. To test the honesty of the ants, he later added a marked crumb that was difficult to divide evenly.
• Findings: The story concludes that when the marked crumb was presented, the ant brought many other ants to carry it. They were said to coordinate to break it evenly, demonstrating teamwork and possibly implying a form of fairness and honesty among the ants.

This tale, while not scientific by modern standards, is a part of Jewish lore and offers early examples of humans attempting to understand the behavior of social animals through direct observation.

For more detailed historical context, you can refer to sources like the Ethics of the Fathers in rabbinic literature.