Ant foraging strategies vary along a natural resource gradient

Oikos ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 130 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-78
Author(s):  
Udi Segev ◽  
Katja Tielbörger ◽  
Yael Lubin ◽  
Jaime Kigel
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resource ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
Ant Foraging ◽  
Resource Gradient

Prioritized Foraging Strategies for an Ant Colony-Inspired Swarm System

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hari R. Iyer ◽  
Manish Kumar ◽  
Subramanian Ramakrishnan
Keyword(s):  
Swarm Robotics ◽  
Travelling Salesman Problem ◽  
Emergent Behavior ◽  
Ant Colony ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
Extended Model ◽  
Ant Foraging ◽  
Enhance Efficiency ◽  
Parameter Values ◽  
Search And Retrieval

Abstract We investigate ant-colony-inspired foraging strategies for enhancing the efficiency of a swarm of artificial agents engaged in a search-and-retrieval application. First, we extend a mathematical model of ant foraging to account for the evolution of the information collected during search-and-retrieval over time. We then use the extended model to numerically investigate the efficiency of search-and-retrieval under the two distinct cases of non-depleting information and depleting information at the sources. In the former case, we obtain optimal ranges of parameter values of the ant foraging model that enhance efficiency. In the latter case, we find that appropriately designed deposition functions in the model can induce self-organization in the swarm and therefore prioritize the collection of quickly depleting information. The ability to prioritize is highly desirable in a swarm for search-and-retrieval applications and, to our knowledge, induced emergent behavior resulting in prioritization capabilities has not been reported in swarms inspired by ant foraging. The results are expected to be broadly significant for swarm robotics as well as in applications such as the Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP) with time-varying profit.

Performance trade-off across a natural resource gradient

Oecologia ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 120 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen H. Desmarais ◽  
Alan J. Tessier
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resource ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Resource Gradient

scholarly journals A List of and Some Comments about the Trail Pheromones of Ants

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1934578X1400900 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xim Cerdá ◽  
Louise van Oudenhove ◽  
Carlos Bernstein ◽  
Raphaël R. Boulay
Keyword(s):  
Food Resource ◽  
Chemical Compounds ◽  
Venom Gland ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
Rectal Gland ◽  
Exocrine Glands ◽  
Foraging Success ◽  
Trail Pheromones ◽  
Ant Foraging

Ants use many different chemical compounds to communicate with their nestmates. Foraging success depends on how efficiently ants communicate the presence of food and thus recruit workers to exploit the food resource. Trail pheromones, produced by different exocrine glands, are a key part of ant foraging strategies. By combing through the literature, we compiled a list of the identity and glandular origin of the chemical compounds found in the trail pheromones of 75 different ant species. Of the 168 compounds identified, more than 40% are amines. In the subfamily Myrmicinae, trail pheromones are mostly produced in the venom gland, while in the subfamily Formicinae, they come from the rectal gland.

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