Chemical ecology is a wide field of science that focuses on the production of and response to signaling molecules, toxins and other organic compounds from living organisms. Social insects are of particular importance in chemical ecology. One such social insect is the ant. One ant in particular, Camponotus qudrisectius F. Smith, contains many interesting components. One component, 4-hydroxymellein, has never been seen in insects before, but has been previously isolated in marine-derived fungi where it was found to exhibit antimicrobial activity and in conifer endophytes as metabolites that show toxicity against the spruce budworm. While many isocoumarins have been synthesized, 4-hydroxymellein has not. This presentation will focus on the recent advances in the synthesis of 4-hydroxymellein.