Abstract

Experimental work has shown that under crowded conditions Argentine ants do not follow typical traffic patterns: instead of jamming at high densities, they maintain a constant flow (Poissonnier et al, eLife 8:e48945, 2019).  This allows the ants to maintain a steady stream of foragers going in and out of their nest along shared bidirectional trails.  The mechanisms and individual-level behaviours contributing to this phenomenon are not yet known. We use experimental analysis and agent based modelling to explore the spatiotemporal movements of ants travelling across a two way bridge between a nest and a food source.  The effects of density on ant locations, speeds, and interaction rates are evaluated with the goal of understanding the connection between individual ant behaviours and the flow patterns of the colony.   Coauthor: L. Mahadevan