Abstract：
Harvester ants are one of the most extensively studied groups of ants, especially the group foraging ants, Messor barbarus (Linnaeus, 1767), which construct long-lasting trunk trails. Limited laboratory investigations have delved into head-on encounters along foraging trails involving workers moving in opposing directions, with fewer corresponding studies conducted in the natural environment. To address this gap, we devised an in-field experimental design to induce lane segregation on the foraging trunk trail of M. barbarus. Using an image-based tracking method, we analyzed the foraging behavior of this species to assess the costs associated with head-on encounters and to figure out the natural coexistence of outgoing and returning workers on a bidirectional route. Our results consistently reveal heightened straightness and speed in unidirectional test lanes, accompanied by an elevated foraging rate compared to bidirectional lanes. This suggests a potential impact of head-on collisions on foraging behavior, especially on foraging efficiency. Additionally, Kinematic analysis revealed distinct movement patterns between outbound and inbound flows, particularly low speed and sinuous trajectories of inbounding unladen workers. The study of encounter rates in two traffic systems hints at the plausible utilization of individual memory by workers within trails, underscoring the pivotal role of encounters in information exchange and load transfer.
摘要：
收割机蚂蚁是研究最广泛的蚂蚁群体之一，尤其是一群觅食的蚂蚁，巴巴鲁斯使徒(Linnaeus,1767),建造持久的干线小径。有限的实验室调查已经深入研究了沿着觅食小径的正面遭遇，涉及工人朝相反方向移动，在自然环境中进行的相应研究较少。为了解决这个差距，我们设计了一个现场实验设计，以在M.barbarus的觅食树干小径上引起车道隔离。使用基于图像的跟踪方法，我们分析了该物种的觅食行为，以评估与正面相遇相关的成本，并确定在双向路线上外出和返回工人的自然共存。我们的结果一致表明，单向测试车道的直线度和速度提高，与双向通道相比，觅食率提高。这表明正面碰撞对觅食行为的潜在影响，尤其是觅食效率。此外,运动学分析揭示了出站和入站流量之间不同的运动模式，特别是低速和弯曲的轨迹限制了无负荷的工人。对两个交通系统中的相遇率的研究暗示了步道内工人对个人记忆的合理利用，强调相遇在信息交换和负载转移中的关键作用。
