Data from: Optic flow odometry operates independently of stride integration in carried ants

Cataglyphis desert ants are impressive navigators. When the foragers roam the desert, they employ path integration. For these ants, distance estimation is one key challenge. Distance information was thought to be provided by optic flow (OF)—that is, image motion experienced during travel—but this idea was abandoned when stride integration was discovered as an odometer mechanism in ants. We show that ants transported by nest mates are capable of measuring travel distance exclusively by the use of OF cues. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the information gained from the optic flowmeter cannot be transferred to the stride integrator. Our results suggest a dual information channel that allows the ants to measure distances by strides and OF cues, although both systems operate independently and in a redundant manner.箭蚁属沙漠蚁（Cataglyphis desert ants）是一类具备卓越导航能力的昆虫。当觅食工蚁在沙漠中巡游觅食时，会采用路径整合（path integration）策略进行导航。对于这类蚂蚁而言，距离估算是其导航过程中的一项核心挑战。此前学界曾认为，蚂蚁的距离信息由光流（optic flow, OF）提供——即行进过程中感知到的图像运动——但当研究者在蚂蚁体内发现步幅整合（stride integration）作为里程计机制后，这一观点被摒弃。本研究表明，由同巢同伴搬运的蚂蚁能够仅通过光流线索测算自身的行进距离。此外，本研究证实，从光流里程计获取的信息无法传递至步幅整合系统。本研究结果显示，蚂蚁拥有一套双重信息通路，可分别通过步幅与光流线索完成距离测算，且两套系统独立运行并以冗余模式协同工作。