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VegaVermehren2020_Article_MultimodalInfluencesOnLearning.pdf (2.87 MB)

Multimodal influences on learning walks in desert ants (Cataglyphis fortis)

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posted on 2023-06-07, 07:20 authored by Jose Adrian Vega Vermehren, Cornelia BuehlmannCornelia Buehlmann, Sofia David Fernandes, Paul GrahamPaul Graham
Ants are excellent navigators using multimodal information for navigation. To accurately localise the nest at the end of a foraging journey, visual cues, wind direction and also olfactory cues need to be learnt. Learning walks are performed at the start of an ant’s foraging career or when the appearance of the nest surrounding has changed. We investigated here whether the structure of such learning walks in the desert ant Cataglyphis fortis takes into account wind direction in conjunction with the learning of new visual information. Ants learnt to travel back and forth between their nest and a feeder, and we then introduced a black cylinder near their nest to induce learning walks in regular foragers. By doing this across days with different wind directions, we were able to probe how ants balance different sensory modalities. We found that (1) the ants’ outwards headings are influenced by the wind direction with their routes deflected such that they will arrive downwind of their target, (2) a novel object along the route induces learning walks in experienced ants and (3) the structure of learning walks is shaped by the wind direction rather than the position of the visual cue.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Journal of Comparative Physiology A

ISSN

0340-7594

Publisher

Springer Verlag

Volume

206

Page range

701-709

Department affiliated with

  • Evolution, Behaviour and Environment Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2020-06-23

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2020-06-23

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2020-06-22

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