Meeting Abstract
Streaming locomotion is a behavior pattern common in superorganismic colony species. While movement-based decision making in such species has been the subject of several recent studies it is still poorly understood. In particular, it is unclear how the moving individuals recognize and respond to varying features of objects they may encounter along their path. In the current study we set out to investigate how various species of neotropical ants alter motion patterns in relation to various geometric three-dimensional printed shapes, both with and without the presence of a magnetic field. Research was conducted in May-June 2015 in the Las Piedras watershed of the Madre de Dios region of Peru. A variety of three-dimensional geometric models, both with and without neodymium magnets, were placed into active ant trails from seven different species of ants. Interrupted steam patterns were recorded and assayed, and ant samples were collected for later identification. Results suggest pointed species related variations in motion patterns and magnetic sensitivity. We discuss the implications of these findings for future studies and their relation to movement patterns and sensory capacities in social insects.
