Figure 4.

Differentiating recruitment from random nest activity. (a) Speed distributions of recruiters (green) and non-recruiters (blue) as they approach an interaction within the nest. Recruiters tend to be faster than non-recruiters (n = 2693 interactions). (b) The mean linear speed shift owing to interaction (speed after interaction minus the speed before interaction), as a function of the speed before the interaction. While recruiter (green) speed changes only marginally following an interaction, the speed of a non-recruiter (blue) typically decreases (n = 4912 interactions). (c) The mean linear speed shift of ants within the nest following an interaction (blue), an interaction with a relatively fast ant (cyan) (speeds over 11 cm s⁻¹, typical of a fast recruiter), and no interaction at all (red), i.e. spontaneous shift (n = 59 940 events).