Desert Ants Locate Food by Combining High Sensitivity to Food Odors with Extensive Crosswind Runs
Desert Ants Locate Food by Combining High Sensitivity to Food Odors with Extensive Crosswind Runs
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DOI：
10.1016/j.cub.2014.02.056
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发表时间：
2014-05-05
期刊：
影响因子：
9.2
通讯作者：
Knaden, Markus
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Buehlmann, Cornelia;Graham, Paul;Knaden, Markus
沙漠蚂蚁以死亡的节肢动物为食，在撒哈拉盐沼食物稀缺的地形中，这些食物在空间和时间上的分布是不可预测的[1]。Cataglyphis属的食腐动物单独觅食，不铺设信息素痕迹[2]。它们主要依靠路径整合[3]进行导航，此外，还使用视觉[4]和嗅觉线索[5-7]。虽然大多数研究都集中在蚂蚁以熟悉的地方（如巢穴或已知的觅食地点）为目标的导航机制上，但对蚂蚁如何在自然环境中定位食物却知之甚少。在这里，我们表明Cataglyphis fortis是高度敏感的食物气味，特别是坏死素亚油酸，使他们能够找到几米远的微小节肢动物。此外，在寻找食物的过程中，蚂蚁使用广泛的步行，增加了定位食物羽的机会。通过结合对食物气味的高度敏感性和快速行走，蚂蚁有效地在沙漠中筛选食物，从而减少了在恶劣的沙漠环境中觅食的时间。
Desert ants feeding on dead arthropods forage for food items that are distributed unpredictably in space and time in the food-scarce terrain of the Saharan salt pans [1]. Scavengers of the genus Cataglyphis forage individually and do not lay pheromone trails [2]. They rely primarily on path integration [3] for navigation and, in addition, use visual [4] andolfactory cues [5-7].While most studies have focused on thenavigational mechanisms of ants targeting a familiar placelike the nest or a learned feeding site, little is known abouthow ants locate food in their natural environment. Here we show thatCataglyphis fortis is highly sensitive to and attracted by food odors, especially the necromone linoleicacid, enabling them to locate tiny arthropods over several meters in distance. Furthermore, during the search for food, ants use extensive crosswind walks that increase thechances of localizing food plumes. By combining high sensitivity toward food odors with crosswind runs, theants efficiently screen the desert for food and hence reduce the time spent foraging in their harsh desert environment.