The question of how antlion spatial patterns, such as pit depth, width,
and nearest neighbor, as well as group behavior vary with respect to
spatial constraints and interruptions in possible communication pathways
was examined through the procedure.
This research expands on a previous study that investigated antlions
in habitats of, sometimes, extremely small size.
It found that antlions, as groups, tend to have fewer and smaller pits
on the surface in smaller areas, to maintain fair food-collection
densities.
This follow-up study aimed to identify the regularity of antlions'
surface distributions, and whether this regularity is maintained if
trails are removed or the environment is constricted with barriers.
It was determined that antlions regularize their settlement patterns
through a couple of innate tendencies: they prefer being on borders when
possible, to, in a group, use all of the area, and distancing themselves
from the raised sand around other pits.
These wouldn't have happened in a system reliant on trail density or
pheromones (because with trail erasure, regularity was maintained) or in
a system reliant on cannibalism.
This experiment tested these specific anti-competitive behaviors,
building on our previous results, which showed antlions hiding under
sand when the population got too dense.