How do ants carry food back to the colony?

Searched over 200M research papers

Research Analysis by Consensus

Consensus Meter

Yes

Possibly

How Ants Carry Food Back to the Colony

Ants exhibit a variety of sophisticated behaviors to transport food back to their colonies. These behaviors range from individual efforts to highly coordinated group activities, depending on the species and the type of food being transported.

Cooperative Food Transport in Ants

In some ant species, such as the Neotropical ant Pheidole oxyops, cooperative transport is a common strategy. Minor workers of this species collectively transport larger food items, such as dead insects, back to the nest. This collective effort is not random; ants tend to position themselves at the corners of the food item, which increases the carrying speed by up to 29%. This strategic positioning allows them to efficiently move larger and heavier items that would be impossible for a single ant to carry.

Food Sharing and Distribution Inside the Colony

Once food is brought back to the nest, it is distributed among colony members. In the ant species Formica fusca, food sharing is a well-coordinated process. Using scintigraphy, researchers have shown that food is rapidly distributed within the colony, with 70% of the harvested food entering the nest within the first hour. This efficient distribution ensures that all workers are fed quickly, and food stocks are built up to prevent shortages.

Tool Use in Liquid Food Transport

Some ants, like those in the genus Aphaenogaster, use tools to transport liquid food. These ants drop debris into liquid food sources and then carry the food-soaked debris back to the nest. This behavior, considered "true" tool use, allows them to transport liquid food without the risk of drowning or entanglement. The ants' ability to differentiate between food and non-food liquids and their strategic use of tools highlight their complex foraging behaviors.

Trail Systems and Pheromone Marking

Ants often rely on trail systems marked with pheromones to navigate between the nest and food sources. These trails provide orientation cues that help ants find their way back to the colony. For example, species like Diacamma scalpratum and Tetramorium christiei use these chemically marked trails to transport various food items, including dead insects and plant materials. The use of pheromones ensures that ants can efficiently locate and return to food sources.

Individual and Collective Regulation of Food Intake

The regulation of food intake in ant colonies is a distributed process. In Camponotus sanctus, for example, food is collected by a small fraction of workers and stored within their crops. The crop loads of recipient ants control the food flow rates, while those of foragers regulate the frequency of foraging trips. This feedback mechanism ensures that the colony's food intake is finely tuned to its needs.

Overcoming Obstacles During Transport

Ants often encounter obstacles while transporting food. In such cases, they exhibit bi-stable dynamics, alternating between oscillatory and convergent modes of motion to navigate around obstacles. This behavior allows them to either attempt to pass through narrow openings or take larger detours to circumvent the obstacle. Such problem-solving strategies are crucial for successful food transport in complex environments.

Liquid Foraging Strategies

Ants also adjust their foraging strategies based on the type of food. For instance, Diacamma ants use different methods to transport liquid food depending on its viscosity. They may use trophallaxis (regurgitation) or pseudotrophallaxis (holding a droplet between the mandibles) to optimize the amount of food returned to the nest. This adaptability ensures that they can efficiently collect and share liquid food.

Conclusion

Ants employ a range of strategies to transport food back to their colonies, from cooperative carrying and tool use to sophisticated trail systems and adaptive foraging behaviors. These strategies are finely tuned to the specific needs and challenges faced by the colony, ensuring efficient food collection and distribution. The complexity and efficiency of these behaviors underscore the remarkable social organization and problem-solving abilities of ants.