Philotic Web

This question most likely has been asked and answered countless times, but after seeing the movie, and reading the first book, I was somewhat confused when it was revealed that the Formics did not realize that human beings were sentient during the First and Second Invasion, and that only by attacking a mothership and killing a Queen, did they realize their error.

My question is this: How did the Formics not realize that Humans were sentient in the first place? I know they thought a hive-minded intelligence was a requisite for "thinking beings," but they were still dealing with humans in technological spacecraft, which obviously required some a minimum of intelligence, and even sentience, to operate.

I know the Formics came to Earth's system with the intent of colonizing Earth, but did they think that human beings were simply animals? Or, perhaps they thought Humans were like Formics, with a queen and many drones (which would explain why they thought little of an individual human dying)?

It seems odd to me that even with a completely alien way of communicating and reasoning, that, when faced with beings that had the technological capability of spacecraft and space warfare, that it never dawned on them that there was intelligence behind it.

Could anyone please enlighten me?

Or, perhaps they thought Humans were like Formics, with a queen and many drones (which would explain why they thought little of an individual human dying)?

IIRC, this was the reasoning.

Yes. From the Formic's perspective, Earth was just occupied by drones, and killing drones is like clipping toe nails.

I think, Formic are not a very problem in the Hegemon's Shadow (it is the english "titre" ?). In the book one, Ender's Shadow, Bean said that Formics are the priority, and it must stop internal disputes. Bean said that Formics are the priority, and it must stop internal disputes. Bean said that Formics are the priority, and it must stop internal disputes.