Figure 1. Ant interaction networks.

a) We used marked colonies of the ant Temnothorax rugatulus to study the structure and dynamics of interaction networks. Interactions are a proxy for chemical or tactile communication and are defined as contact between the antenna of one ant and the body of another ant. b) Time-ordered networks enable inference about group-level information flow and causality from individual behavior. Individuals are linked to themselves in time and to other individuals during interactions; lines that travel horizontally or upward between nodes represent pathways for information flow. c) Time-aggregated networks can be recovered from time-ordered networks by accumulating data along the time axis. d) An empirical time-ordered network from a colony with 69 individuals, drawn as in b. e) The same data represented as a time-aggregated network. Time-aggregated networks inherently hide more the fundamental dynamic processes.