Foraging ants travel significant distances of from their nest and typically find their way back using scent trails. Some ants forage at night. Day foraging ants in hot and arid regions face death by desiccation, so the ability to find the shortest route back to the nest reduces that risk. Diurnal desert ants use visual landmarks in combination with other cues to navigate.
In some army ant species, a group of foragers that get separated from the main column can sometimes turn back on themselves and form a circular ant mill. The workers may then run around continuously until they die of exhaustion
Tags: Frequently Asked Question | Behaviour
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