Scanning and active sampling behaviours emerge from conserved insect neural circuits.

Conserved insect neural circuits can spontaneously generate complex scanning and active sampling behaviors without specialized modules, as demonstrated in desert ants.

• Why it matters: Understanding the neural basis of these behaviors is crucial because they underpin spatial learning and navigation, yet current models do not explain how they naturally emerge from neural circuits.
• What they did: A biologically grounded model was developed, integrating central complex steering, lateral accessory lobe oscillators, and stochastic inhibition of forward speed, to replicate natural scanning behaviors.
• The result: The model produced diverse, realistic behaviors such as saccades and reversals, revealing that simple modulation of forward speed can unify various behaviors across ant species and regulate exploration-exploitation balance.