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Curr Biol

Title:		Desert ants locate food by combining high sensitivity to food odors with extensive crosswind runs
Author(s):		Buehlmann C; Graham P; Hansson BS; Knaden M;
Address:		"Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knoell Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany; School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK. School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK. Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knoell Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany. Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Hans-Knoell Strasse 8, 07745 Jena, Germany. Electronic address: mknaden@ice.mpg.de"
Journal Title:		Curr Biol
Year:		2014
Volume:		20140410
Issue:		9
Page Number:		960 - 964
DOI:		10.1016/j.cub.2014.02.056
ISSN/ISBN:		1879-0445 (Electronic) 0960-9822 (Linking)
Abstract:		"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] and olfactory cues [5-7]. While most studies have focused on the navigational mechanisms of ants targeting a familiar place like the nest or a learned feeding site, little is known about how ants locate food in their natural environment. Here we show that Cataglyphis fortis is highly sensitive to and attracted by food odors, especially the necromone linoleic acid, enabling them to locate tiny arthropods over several meters in distance. Furthermore, during the search for food, ants use extensive crosswind walks that increase the chances of localizing food plumes. By combining high sensitivity toward food odors with crosswind runs, the ants efficiently screen the desert for food and hence reduce the time spent foraging in their harsh desert environment"
Keywords:		Animals Ants/*physiology Arthropods/chemistry *Cues Desert Climate Feeding Behavior/*physiology Food Homing Behavior Linoleic Acid/metabolism Odorants Orientation Smell/*physiology Wind;
Notes:		"MedlineBuehlmann, Cornelia Graham, Paul Hansson, Bill S Knaden, Markus eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't England 2014/04/15 Curr Biol. 2014 May 5; 24(9):960-4. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.02.056. Epub 2014 Apr 10"