Jack Jumper ants, Myrmecia croslandi, are day-active animals. Individual foragers from a single nest typically head to nest-specific Eucalyptus trees. Studies by Narendra, Gourmaud and Zeil, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, show that these animals rely heavily on visual landmark information and are able to find home from locations they have never been before.

"If they have a memory of how the scene looks like from different directions close to the nest, they can then compare this with the views they encounter at distant release stations," says Zeil.

"Our results suggest that the ants use the mismatch between the two scenes to find their way back to the nest."

Related links

• Narendra A, Gourmaud S & Zeil J. (2013) Mapping the navigational knowledge of individually foraging ants, Myrmecia croslandi. Proceedings of the Royal Society B
• Panoramic snapshots help ants find home, ABC Science
• Ants find their way home thanks to an extensive mental photo album , International Business Times
• Ants use 'photo library' to find home, Phys Org
• Australian Jack Jumper ants navigate using landmarks, Asian Scientist
• Navigational knowledge of ants, Ant Visions (Ajay Narendra).