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.箭蚁属沙漠蚂蚁（Cataglyphis desert ants）堪称卓越的导航者。当觅食工蚁在沙漠中巡游时，它们会运用路径整合（path integration）策略。对于这类蚂蚁而言，距离估算是一项核心挑战。此前学界曾认为，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——但当步幅整合（stride integration）被证实为蚂蚁的里程计机制后，这一观点被摒弃。本研究表明，由同伴搬运的蚂蚁能够仅借助光流线索（OF cues）测算行进距离。此外，本研究证实，从光流计（optic flowmeter）获取的信息无法传递至步幅整合系统。我们的研究结果显示，蚂蚁具备一套双重信息通路，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具备冗余性。