title: Onset of collective motion in locusts is captured by a minimal model.
abstract: We present a minimal model to describe the onset of collective motion seen when a population of locusts are placed in an annular arena. At low densities motion is disordered, while at high densities locusts march in a common direction, which may reverse during the experiment. The data are well captured by an individual-based model, in which demographic noise leads to the observed density-dependent effects. By fitting the model parameters to equation-free coefficients, we give a quantitative comparison, showing time series, stationary distributions, and the mean switching times between states.
authors.affiliation: Mathematics Institute, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, United Kingdom.|Theoretical Physics Division, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dyson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Mathematical Biology, Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Christian A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Yates
authors.affiliation: School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Waite Building, Waite Campus, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia.
authors.forename: Jerome
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Buhl
authors.affiliation: Theoretical Physics Division, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alan J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: McKane
mesh_terms: D025041:Animal Migration; D000818:Animals; D006110:Grasshoppers / Q000502:physiology*; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009068:Movement; D011336:Probability