Impact of information transfer in Blattodea group dynamics and decision-making

Optimal foraging theory, Selfish Herd, and several top-down models fall short of explaining the factors that determine group movement and decision-making for animals that do not follow rigid hierarchies or centralised control. These models define intergroup relations as immutable rules based on proximity, without considering an animal’s sensory system or information gained from conspecifics. Thus, animal groups are modelled as an aggregation of particles, disregarding new properties that
emerge as members cooperate or compete.
The American cockroach (Periplaneta Americana) does not exhibit rigid patterns of social hierarchy or task allocation. They seem to rely on ‘collective wisdom’ and show a preference for aggregating with peers rather than venturing alone into unbeknownst territories in search of food. The simplicity and horizontality of their social interactions make them an ideal organism for studying information dissemination and its impact on system-wide behavioural patterns.
This study draws on models and techniques used in network and information theory and trajectory forecasting to understand the factors that modulate information exchange and group decision-making in moving insects. It contrasts cockroach group
movement in an open space, where they can interact freely, with their dynamics in a maze that restricts their interactions. The objective of this study is to describe and explain collective movement using mathematical and computational tools. For that, it uses prediction models and mutual information to identify the most useful features to forecast individual and collective movements. It seeks to determine the impact of information transfer in insect groups by contrasting group behaviour against the non-interacting aggregation of individual behaviours.