Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Agent-Based Modeling Of Locust Foraging And Social Behavior, Hannah Larson

HMC Senior Theses

Locust swarms contain millions of individuals and are a threat to agriculture on four continents. At low densities, locusts are solitary foragers; however, when crowded, they undergo an epigenetic phase change to a gregarious state in which they are attracted to other locusts. It is believed that this is an evolutionary adaptation that optimizes the seeking of resources. We have developed an agent-based model based on the solitary-gregarious transition and foraging behaviors due to hunger levels. A novel feature of our model is that it treats food resources as a dynamic variable in the environment. We discuss how social interaction …