A Kinetic Study of Swarming of Small Animals in Motion: Data Analysis with 'Anarete pritchardi' Kim.
Abstract
Movies of insect swarming taken by Dr. H. C. Chiang, University of Minnesota, are analysed to provide kinematic data for swarming. The species studied is Anarete pritchardi Kim, a cecidomyiid midge. Statistical characteristics calculated from the basic data are the mean, variance, standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis of the insect coordinates; insect number-density distribution in space, frequency distribution of insect velocities; velocity autocorrelation coefficients; effective advective velocity and diffusivity for swarming, among others. A few features of midge behavior in swarming flight are also noted. The result obtained for midge kinetics should be equally applicable to some swarms in the marine environment. Hence, knowledge of the patchy distribution of plankton and of marine animal swarming will be improved by the study of terrestrial swarming.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1973
- Accession Number
- ADA009836
Entities
People
- Akira Okubo
Organizations
- Johns Hopkins University