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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 4, 2026

SwarmSight: Real-time Tracking of Insect Antenna Movements and Proboscis Extension Reflex Using a Common Preparation and Conventional Hardware

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Nest-mark orientation versus vector navigation in desert ants.

Patrick Bregy¹, Stefan Sommer, Rüdiger Wehner

¹Institute of Zoology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland.

The Journal of Experimental Biology

|June 3, 2008

Summary

Foraging ants use both path integration and landmarks for navigation. Nest mark memories guide ants homeward but are most effective when the path integrator is near zero.

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Studying the Neural Basis of Adaptive Locomotor Behavior in Insects

Studying the Neural Basis of Adaptive Locomotor Behavior in Insects

Published on: April 13, 2011

Area of Science:

Animal behavior
Neuroethology
Insect navigation

Background:

Foraging ants and bees navigate using path-integration vectors and landmark cues.
The weighting of these cues can shift based on navigational context and the animal's motivational state.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how displaced nest marks affect the homing performance of Cataglyphis ants.
To understand the interplay between landmark memories and path integration during ant navigation.

Main Methods:

Ants were trained to a feeder near a nest marked by a visual beacon (black cylinder).
Ants were captured at the feeder and released in a test field with the nest mark displaced relative to their home vector.
The homing behavior and drift towards the beacon were recorded.

Main Results:

Ants initially followed their home vector but gradually drifted towards a displaced nest mark.
This drift occurred later in the homing course and was consistent across conditions.
Landmark information became dominant during the final nest search phase.

Conclusions:

Nest-mark memories are active throughout the homing journey but are not fully utilized until the path integrator nears completion.
The results highlight the dynamic integration of landmark and vector information in insect navigation.