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First published online June 11, 2007
Journal of Experimental Biology 210, 2025-2032 (2007)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2007
doi: 10.1242/jeb.000315

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Novel landmark-guided routes in ants

T. S. Collett^*, P. Graham and R. A. Harris

University of Sussex, School of Biological Sciences, Biology Building, Brighton, Sussex, BN1 9QG, UK

View larger version (11K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig 1. Novel routes of wood ants (Formica rufa) to a food site. Ant trajectories are shown from displaced (D1, D2, D3) and training (T) start points. Solid black circles indicate cylinders, and F indicates the food site. Food was removed during these tests [adapted from Durier et al. (Durier et al., 2004)].

View larger version (11K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 2. Novel route of wood ants (Formica rufa) to a food site. (A) Food was placed at the base of a gradient landmark. (B) The mean path along the habitual route and the mean path from a displaced start point are shown as a grey ribbon whose width represents the 95% confidence interval of the mean path. N is the number of ants trained and tested, and n is the number of recorded trajectories (T.S.C., P.G. and R.A.H., unpublished data). Line superimposed on the grey ribbon shows the path predicted by the `look-up' model described in the text and in more detail in Harris et al. (Harris et al., 2007). The paths of the displaced ants and the model do not quite reach the goal. This error is probably caused by the foreshortening of the wall, when seen from an acute angle. Discrepancies between data and model are partly because the ant may switch to a second strategy when it is close to the landmark and becomes unable to assess the overall width of the gradient and partly because of inaccuracies in the model's simulation of the gradient width perceived by the ant.

View larger version (30K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 3. Homeward routes of wood ants (Formica japonica) from a feeder and after displacement. (A) Map of site showing positions of trees behind the nest relative to the terrace. N marks the nest, F the food site and R one of the displaced release sites. B and C show the routes of full- and zero-vector ants, respectively. Inset shows mean directions of the initial part of the trajectories, with B extended in A to indicate the point of convergence. Trajectories from the food site (B) and close to the food site (C) are shown as solid lines. Trajectories from the displaced sites are shown as broken lines [adapted from Fukushi and Wehner (Fukushi and Wehner, 2004)].

View larger version (33K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 4. Homing routes in Melophorus bagoti after displacement. A and B show the routes of full- and zero-vector ants, respectively, that have been displaced 10 m from the food site. Ants reach the nest in both cases but they take different routes, and the paths of zero-vector ants tend to be more convoluted. N marks the nest, F the food site and R the release site [adapted from Narendra (Narendra, 2007b)].

View larger version (58K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 5. Homing in Cataglyphis fortis. Location of nest (N), feeding site (F) and release points (R) within bushy, desert terrain. Ants that had returned from F to N were displaced from N and released at sites R and F and their paths recorded for 15 min or until they reached within 2 m of N [adapted from Wehner et al. (Wehner et al., 1996)].