Importance of vision in tandem running during colony relocation in an Indian ant

Abstract

Visual inputs are important for navigation, and several studies have investigated its importance in ants in the context of foraging. Little is known about the importance of visual cues when the whole colony engages in the goal‐oriented task of colony relocation. In this study, we investigated the role of vision for a tandem‐running tropical ant Diacamma indicum during colony relocation by impairing the vision in both eyes of all colony members and comparing our findings with ants having unimpaired vision. Colonies relocated successfully under zero‐lux conditions and when all colony mates were visually impaired, without compromising their colony cohesion. On examining 265 tandem runs performed by visually impaired ants, we found that they had lower efficiency as compared to ants with normal vision. They traveled along longer routes at lower speeds and often lost their followers, leading to significant increase in transportation time. The absence of visual inputs did not influence the number of tandem leaders that participated nor did it negatively impact their ability to recruit their visually impaired followers from becoming tandem leaders. Visually impaired tandem leaders were not able to minimize their relocation path in an open arena but were capable of doing so in defined paths. Our results suggest that these ants use thigmotactic or proprioceptive cues in order to navigate to their new nest in the absence of visual inputs. Our understanding of tandem‐running recruitment would be incomplete until we delineate the role of multiple sensory inputs involved in conducting this mode of recruitment successfully.

Light alters activity but does not disturb tandem coordination of termite mating pairs

“…In summary, for single‐file movement coordination, like tandem runs or processions, individuals do not rely on vision for interindividual interactions but for collecting global information. For example, ants do not use vision for leader‐follower communications but potentially for navigation during tandem runs (Bowens et al, 2013; Franklin et al, 2011; Mcleman et al, 2002; Mukhopadhyay & Sumana, 2021). In social caterpillars, chemical and tactile stimuli are involved in forming processions, but the visual cue is important for group orientation (Fitzgerald, 2003; Uemura et al, 2021).…”

Intraspecific competition for a nest and its implication for the fitness of relocating ant colonies

“…Each adult female was given unique identity by marking one or more of their body parts (1 st , 2 nd thoracic segment and abdomen) with non-toxic enamel paint. (Testors, Rockford, IL USA) (44). Two neighboring colonies within 5 m distance were used for a single experiment.…”

Protocol to obtain long movement trajectories of leaders and followers in ant tandem runs

“… Note: Nest relocation is stimulated by opening the lid of the container, which is a practice widely used in ant nest emigration experiments, e.g., Mukhopadhyay and Sumana, Pratt et al., and Pratt. 13 , 14 , 15 Following nest destruction, ants wander around the maze arena to look for a potential nest site. Once they find the new nest and begin to recruit to it, colony emigration begins.…”