biostudies-literatureUnknown68(4)Gilad TInjury is common in nature resulting, for example, from fighting, partial predation, or the wear of body parts. Injury is costly, expressed in impaired performance, failure in competition, and a shorter life span. A survey of the literature revealed the frequent occurrence of injury in ants and its various causes. We examined whether leg or antenna injury impacts food-discovery time and reduces the likelihood of reaching food in workers of the desert ant <i>Cataglyphis niger</i>. We examined the search-related consequences of injury in groups of either 4 or 8 workers searching for food in a short arena, a long arena, and a maze. We conducted a small field survey to evaluate the prevalence of injury in the studied population. Finally, we compared the survival rates of injured versus uninjurCurrent zoology441-450https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9450180biostudies-literatureLeg or antenna injury in <i>Cataglyphis</i> ants impairs survival but does not hinder searching for food.PMC9450180Gilad TScharf ISubach ADorfman AfalseLeg or antenna injury in <i>Cataglyphis</i> ants impairs survival but does not hinder searching for food.Injury is common in nature resulting, for example, from fighting, partial predation, or the wear of body parts. Injury is costly, expressed in impaired performance, failure in competition, and a shorter life span. A survey of the literature revealed the frequent occurrence of injury in ants and its various causes. We examined whether leg or antenna injury impacts food-discovery time and reduces the likelihood of reaching food in workers of the desert ant <i>Cataglyphis niger</i>. We examined the search-related consequences of injury in groups of either 4 or 8 workers searching for food in a short arena, a long arena, and a maze. We conducted a small field survey to evaluate the prevalence of injury in the studied population. Finally, we compared the survival rates of injured versus uninjur2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Aug2025-05-29T19:35:50.399Z2024-11-06T04:01:30.456ZS-EPMC94501803609014310.1093/cz/zoab027