This study shows ants make faster pheromone-guided decisions in low-distraction environments, suggesting that signal clarity vs. environmental noise is a critical factor in stigmergic coordination.

The implication for engineered systems is significant: distributed agents may perform better when irrelevant signals are suppressed, not just when communication is strengthened.
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.16.706118.full
