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

Desert ants' spontaneous scanning behaviors can emerge from conserved neural circuits used for goal-directed navigation without specialized modules.

• Why it matters: Understanding the neural basis of active sampling behaviors like scanning is crucial for insights into spatial learning and navigation, yet this remains unclear and existing models do not explain their emergence.
• What they did: A biologically grounded model was developed, combining central complex steering, lateral accessory lobe oscillators, and stochastic inhibition of forward speed, to replicate realistic scanning behaviors in desert ants.
• The result: The model reproduces diverse scan dynamics and reveals that simple modulation of forward speed can unify behaviors across ant species, suggesting a distributed control principle balancing exploration and exploitation.