Nest choice in arboreal ants is an emergent consequence of network creation under spatial constraints

Biological transportation networks must balance competing functional priorities. The self-organizing mechanisms used to generate such networks have inspired scalable algorithms to construct and maintain low-cost and efficient human-designed transport networks. The pheromone-based trail networks of ants have been especially valuable in this regard. Here, we use turtle ants as our focal system: In contrast to the ant species usually used as models for self-organized networks, these ants live in a spatially constrained arboreal environment where both nesting options and connecting pathways are limited. Thus, they must solve a distinct set of challenges which resemble those faced by human transport engineers constrained by existing infrastructure. Here, we ask how a turtle ant colony’s choice of which nests to include in a network may be influenced by their potential to create connections to other nests. In laboratory experiments with Cephalotes varians and Cephalotes texanus, we show that ...生物运输网络需在相互冲突的功能优先级间达成平衡。生成此类网络的自组织机制，启发了可用于构建并维护低成本、高效人工设计运输网络的可扩展算法。其中，基于信息素（pheromone）的蚂蚁路径网络在此类研究中尤为具有参考价值。本研究以龟蚁（turtle ants）为核心研究对象：与通常用作自组织网络研究模型的蚂蚁物种不同，龟蚁栖息于空间受限的树栖环境中，其筑巢选择与连接通路均十分有限。因此，它们需要解决一系列独特的挑战，这些挑战与受既有基础设施限制的人类运输工程师所面临的问题高度相似。本研究旨在探究龟蚁群落选择纳入网络的蚁巢，会如何受到其与其他蚁巢建立连接的潜力的影响。通过对变异龟蚁（Cephalotes varians）与德克萨斯龟蚁（Cephalotes texanus）开展实验室实验，本研究结果表明……