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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 13, 2026

The HoneyComb Paradigm for Research on Collective Human Behavior
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How miscommunication can improve collective performance in social insects.

Bradley D Ohlinger1, Takao Sasaki2

  • 1Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.

Trends in Cognitive Sciences
|October 29, 2025
PubMed
Summary

Communication errors can surprisingly benefit social insects like Temnothorax ants during foraging. These errors, arising from tandem running, may improve collective performance in specific environments.

Keywords:
Temnothoraxcollective decision makingerrorstandem running

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Area of Science:

  • Insect behavior
  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary biology

Background:

  • Communication errors are often considered negative.
  • However, in social insects, errors can enhance group coordination.
  • Temnothorax ants exhibit tandem running, a key social behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate the role of communication errors in Temnothorax ant foraging.
  • Understand how tandem running errors impact collective performance.
  • Analyze environmental influences on error-related benefits.

Main Methods:

  • Observational studies of Temnothorax ant colonies.
  • Analysis of tandem running behavior and communication patterns.
  • Experimental manipulation of environmental conditions.

Main Results:

  • Communication errors during tandem running were quantified.
  • A correlation between specific error types and improved foraging efficiency was observed.
  • Environmental factors significantly modulated the impact of errors.

Conclusions:

  • Communication errors are not always detrimental and can be adaptive in social insect foraging.
  • Tandem running errors in Temnothorax ants can enhance collective success under certain conditions.
  • Understanding these errors provides insights into the evolution of social communication.