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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. The objective of the research was to
expand upon the established conclusion from the previous years
experiment, which determined that antlions space themselves in a
hexagonal pattern and maintain a constant ration between all pits to
reduce intraspecies competition. In order to test the natural hexagonal
dispersion pattern of the antlions the follow up study aimed to identify
the method of organization of the organisms, as the previous years study
clearly illustrated that the organisms had a standard distribution
pattern, and thereby some means of communicating or understanding
spatial information in order to achieve that pattern. In order to
develop a conclusion regarding the method of communication three initial
hypothesis were made and it was determined that the antlions
communicated through the use of making trail in the sand, which allowed
them to mathematically determine a settling position, or that the
antlions used obstacles and pits as regulatory mechanisms, or finally
that antlions had no means of communication, but rather their
cannibalistic nature determined the settlement pattern observed. With
this in mind a procedure was drafted that contained three distinct
trials, one where antlion trails were removed, one where fake pits were
introduced, and one where obstacles were introduced into the
environment. With this procedure several similar ``cooperative''
behaviors to prior studies were observed, with the antlions remaining
under the soil when the surface was overpopulated (demonstrable by a
significantly lower number of pits forming in smaller trials). Along
with this the antlions seemed to be most disrupted by the introduction
of fake pits, as during these trials the averager pit depth, pit width,
and nearest neighbor calculation changed significantly, thereby
indicating that antlions use the presence of pits around them to
mathematically determine where they need to settle on an instinctual
level.
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