Ants collectively carry large objects in a way that mimics a self-propelled particle moving through fluid

A team of physicists at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel has found that when ants of a certain species collectively carry a large object, they do so in a way that mimics a self-propelled particle as it moves through a fluid. In their paper published in the open-access journal PRX Life, the group describes their study of the behavior of Paratrechina longicornis, a species of ant that are known for collectively carrying large food items to their nests.