ABSTRACT
Probably everyone who has set out for a relaxing picnic on a sunny afternoon has gotten into the annoying situation that, all of a sudden, he or she had to compete for the favorite salami (or something similarly delicious) with several dozens of ants, which apparently turned up out of nowhere. Whereas many people, for sure, are merely irritated by this, others might marvel at the agility and speed with which these tiny animals nd and collect food. In fact, the fascination and knowledge about the foraging efciency of eusocial insects, particularly of ants, dates back several thousand years and has, for instance, found its way into Aesop’s fables and the Old Testament: “Go to the ant, thou sluggard! Consider her ways, and be wise: which, having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest” (Book of Proverbs 6:6-8).
