Desert ants adjust their approach to a foraging site according to experience |
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Authors: | Harald Wolf |
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Institution: | (1) Institute of Neurobiology, University of Ulm, 89069 Ulm, Germany |
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Abstract: | In the habitat of desert ants, Cataglyphis fortis, a constant wind is usually blowing during the daytime. When visiting a familiar food source, the ants steer some distance
downwind of the feeder, rather than attempting a direct approach that might miss small food sources, in particular. In the
downwind area, the ants pick up the odor plume emanating from the food and follow it upwind to the prey. This strategy saves
considerable walking distance and time. The additional path necessitated by the downwind strategy is only about 0.75 to 2 m,
depending on nest–feeder distance, while missing the food on the upwind side results in much longer search trajectories. During
the initial three to five visits to a feeding site, downwind distance and length of the approach path are shortened notably,
and the approach trajectory is straightened. Desert ants further exhibit considerable short-term flexibility in their approach.
Experienced individuals are evidently able to decide upon leaving the nest which direction to choose toward the feeder, depending
on current wind direction (that fluctuates slightly during the day). Notable changes in wind direction occur primarily overnight.
For larger nest–feeder distances, the animals adjust their approach en route to the altered wind direction during their first
foraging trip in the morning. |
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Keywords: | Desert ant Cataglyphis Foraging strategy Navigation Error compensation Goal approach |
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