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Credit: CNRS PHOTOTHÈQUE _J. Exp. Biol._ 212, 499–505 (2009) Although leaf-cutter ants leaving their nest often encounter leaf-laden colleagues coming the other way, the ant traffic never
becomes gridlocked. Using an experimental nest of _Atta colombica_, Audrey Dussutour of the Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, France, and her colleagues have determined the rules of the
insect road. When the ants were forced to cross a narrow bridge, they tended to form clusters of inbound and outbound foragers. Inbound clusters were headed by leaf-carrying ants and were
almost always given priority; outbound ants tended to cross when there were no inbound ants. The few inbound ants without loads followed behind slower, load-bearing members of their cluster.
Had they raced ahead, head-to-head encounters would have caused twice the delay imposed by tailgating behaviour. RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS
ARTICLE Animal behaviour: The carriers' code. _Nature_ 457, 1060 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/4571060d Download citation * Published: 25 February 2009 * Issue Date: 26 February 2009
* DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/4571060d SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get shareable link Sorry, a shareable link is not
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