DOI: 10.5061/dryad.z612jm6q8
title: Need for speed? It is not necessary to be always the fastest–a case study of two thermophilous ant species

description: When the decisions about the movement are made and the animal should
 adjust the trajectory and movement speed to maximise the efficiency in
 reaching its goal. The most important environmental factor, which
 influence the movement in case of ectothermic ants, is temperature. In the
 current experiment, we compared how species with different thermal
 adaptations responded to foraging in the thermally challenging conditions.
 To be more specific, how the external temperature influences the inbound
 time and path (straightness) of ants' movement when they return to
 the nest with prey. Generally, workers’ inbound time was linked with the
 mean speed of foraging ants in case of both species–faster workers return
 earlier to the nest. The straightness of workers’ movements–the path they
 took to the nest–was not linked with sand temperature, nor with the speed
 of workers in case of C. velox. On the contrary, in case of A. senilis,
 the straightness of workers’ movements was linked with mean speed of ants.
 The faster workers choose the most straight path to the nest entrance. The
 difference in behavioural response of both species may derive from the
 physiological differences between species. C. velox, as a more
 physiologically temperature resistant and generally faster seem to have a
 broader bandwidth of behaviours concerning the choice inbound trajectory
 with no need to narrow it when the temperature rises e.g. increase the
 movement straightness. Each of the species tries to take the advantage
 based on their stronger properties, C. velox on its higher speed and A.
 senilis on higher straightness and also possibility to recruit nestmates.
description: # Need for speed? It is not necessary to be always the fastest–a case
 study of two thermophilous ant species Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.z612jm6q8](10.5061/dryad.z612jm6q8) ## Description of the
 data and file structure In this study, we compare the response of two
 behaviourally subordinate (species that are at the bottom of the
 dominance/aggression hierarchy) and thermophilous (species thriving at
 high soil temperatures) ant species to the thermally challenging
 conditions. To be more specific, how the external temperature influences
 the speed and path of ant movement in *Cataglyphis velox* and
 *Aphaenogaster senilis*, when they return to the nest with prey. ### Files
 and variables #### File: Ślipiński_et_al_-_Supplementary_material__1.docx
 **Description:** Supplementary figures and literature #### File:
 Ślipiński_et_al_-_Supplementary_material_Tab_S2.xlsx **Description:** Raw
 data from ants' movement **Sheets**: There are two sheets in the
 file, one with the data from Cataglyphis velox and the second from
 Aphaenogaster senilis ##### Variables * Col - colony * Ant ID - the ant ID
 * Position ID - reflects the ant position measurement. From 1, where was
 the first ant position measurement was up to the moment of ant capture * X
 position - position of ant on the x/y axis * Y position - position of ant
 on the x/y axis * Distance (cm) - the distance from the bait * Speed
 (cm/s) - ant speed #### File:
 Ślipiński_et_al_-_Supplementary_material_Tab_S3.xlsx
 **Description:** Averaged and calculated data based on the data from
 Tab_S2 ##### Variables * Date - the date of measurement * Colony - colony
 * Eppendorf ID - Id of the Eppendorf tube with the particular ant *
 Temperature Bait (Celsius degrees) - the surface temperature measured
 close to the bait position * Ant ID - Id of the measured ant * Mean speed
 (cm/s) - mean speed of the ant * Distance (cm) - the distance covered by
 the ant * Inboud time (s) - the time measured from the moment of
 collecting the prey to the moment of capture * Capture from the bait (cm)
 - reflects the distance in cm of the individual from the bait in the
 moment when the ant was captured. * Capture from the entrance (cm) - same
 as above, but from the nest entrance. * Straightenss - the straightness
 index value * Head Width (mm) - head width measurement of the ant * Head
 length (mm) - head length measurement of the ant # Code/software In all
 models, the nested random factor was the studied colony ID and repetition
 (video recording). The models were fit with the Gaussian distribution, and
 diagnostics of model residuals were done with the use of the *DHARMa*
 package (Hartig, 2022). The linear models were performed using the *lme4*
 and *lmer* packages (Bates et al., 2015; Kuznetsova et al., 2017). All
 dependent variables were log-transformed. All statistical analyses were
 performed in R (RStudio Team 2024). The significance threshold was set to
 0.05.