Photo courtesy of J. Maughn. MESA, Arizona – April 1, 2018 – Mesa Community College life science professor Nicola Plowes is co-author of a research article, "Odometry and backtracking: social and individual navigation in group foraging desert harvester ants (Veromessor pergandei)," appearing in Animal Cognition, an interdisciplinary journal publishing current research from various backgrounds and disciplines. The article describes how harvester ants use a combination of social cues (pheromone-marked columns) and individual cues (e.g., self-generated movement, visual cues) when exploring foraging areas for resources. Upon finding food, individuals navigate back to the column, which guides their return to the nest.  

Plowes co-authored the article with Yu Du (University of Colorado Denver), Jenna V. Congdon (University of Alberta), Vadim Bulitko (University of Alberta), Everton S. Soares (University of Campinas, Brazil) and Marcia Spetch (University of Alberta).

Tests were conducted with Veromessor pergandei ants from an active nest found in a Sonoran Desert location at the base of the White Tank Mountain Range in Buckeye, Ariz. The results suggest that some navigation strategies are general across species and are utilized by ants that navigate individually or socially.

“Our results add to the growing literature suggesting that ants have a large and remarkably flexible suite of navigational tools that can be used to navigate and search for important places,” Plowes said. “In this species, the behavior of the group augments the navigational behavior of individual.”

Plowes added that MCC students benefit from knowing some community college professors teach and do research simultaneously, providing students with the most current research available and personal insight into the findings.

“The best part about working on a local ant species is that we can take students out to the field and let them have a first-hand experience with this awesome study system,”  Plowes said.

The original article appears here: https://rdcu.be/9vyv.

For more information on Life Science at MCC, visit https://www.mesacc.edu/departments/life-science.

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Media contact: Dawn Zimmer, dawn.zimmer@mesacc.edu, 480-461-7892

Mesa Community College is nationally recognized for service-learning, career and technical programs, civic engagement and innovative approaches to higher education. The college serves as a resource for career readiness, transfer education, workforce development and lifelong learning. Host to more than 30,000 students annually, MCC offers more than 150 degree and certificate programs at its two campuses and additional locations. MCC is an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution with a diverse student body that enriches the learning experience. Renowned faculty are dedicated to student success, providing the education and training that empowers MCC students to compete locally and nationally. MCC, located in the East Valley of Phoenix, Arizona, is one of 10 colleges comprising the Maricopa County Community College District. For additional information visit mesacc.edu.

Mesa Community College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).

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