title: The descent of ant: field-measured performance of gliding ants.
abstract: Gliding ants avoid predatory attacks and potentially mortal consequences of dislodgement from rainforest canopy substrates by directing their aerial descent towards nearby tree trunks. The ecologically relevant measure of performance for gliding ants is the ratio of net horizontal to vertical distance traveled over the course of a gliding trajectory, or glide index. To study variation in glide index, we measured three-dimensional trajectories of Cephalotes atratus ants gliding in natural rainforest habitats. We determined that righting phase duration, glide angle, and path directness all significantly influence variation in glide index. Unsuccessful landing attempts result in the ant bouncing off its target and being forced to make a second landing attempt. Our results indicate that ants are not passive gliders and that they exert active control over the aerodynamic forces they experience during their descent, despite their apparent lack of specialized control surfaces.
authors: Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA yomunk@uw.edu.
authors: Yonatan
authors: Y
authors: Munk
authors: Department of Biology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA.
authors: Stephen P
authors: SP
authors: Yanoviak
authors: Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
authors: M A R
authors: MA
authors: Koehl
authors: Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, PO Box 2072, Balboa, Republic of Panama.
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Dudley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001000:Ants / Q000502:physiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005426:Flight, Animal; D008124:Locomotion; D010176:Panama; D065947:Rainforest
keywords: Aerodynamics; Arboreal ants; Biomechanics; Particle filter; Rainforest