Resource distribution mediates synchronization of physiological rhythms in locust groups.

Area of Science:

• Animal behavior
• Collective dynamics
• Physiology

Background:

• Synchronized behavior is prevalent in animal groups, facilitating collective actions.
• In ant colonies, synchronization is driven by social stimulation.
• Understanding synchronization mechanisms in other species, like locusts, is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explain how neighbor stimulation synchronizes activity in solitarious locusts using oscillator theory.
• To investigate the role of food resource distribution in controlling locust coupling and synchronized activity.
• To elucidate the functional significance of activity synchronization in locust swarming behavior.

Main Methods:

• Applied oscillator theory to model locust activity and physiological rhythms.
• Investigated the effect of neighbor contact on individual locust activity probability.
• Analyzed how food resource clumping influences locust interaction and synchronization.

Main Results:

• Neighbor stimulation entrains individual locusts' hunger oscillations, synchronizing their activity.
• Increased contact with active neighbors enhances synchronization.
• Spatial distribution of food resources modulates coupling strength and synchronization levels.

Conclusions:

• Neighbor-induced entrainment of physiological rhythms is a key mechanism for synchronized activity in locusts.
• Food resource clumping strengthens locust coupling, leading to increased synchronization.
• Activity synchronization may regulate locust swarming, inhibiting it in dispersed and promoting it in clumped environments.