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Ant Mound Solar Thermoregulation

Interactive 3D simulation of a Formica wood-ant mound: an asymmetric, south-elongated thatch dome absorbs solar radiation by the cosine law, an internal nest temperature evolves by Newton's law of cooling, and surface vents open and close under threshold control exactly as real colonies regulate nest climate.

Ecology & Conservation Biology3DModerate60 FPS📱 Mobile-adapted⇄ 2D version

Formica wood-ant mounds are engineered thatch domes, and many are deliberately asymmetric: elongated and gently sloped toward the sun so more of the surface catches low-angle radiation through the day. This simulation renders such a dome as a grid of instanced thatch patches, computes solar absorption on each patch from the real cosine law of illumination as the sun arcs across a simulated day, and drives an internal nest-core temperature by Newton's law of cooling. Eight surface vents open and close on individually jittered thresholds around your chosen set-point, reproducing the bang-bang climate control real colonies perform by opening and plugging holes in the mound's crust.

⚙ Under the hood

Simulate how an asymmetric, sun-elongated Formica wood-ant mound absorbs solar radiation by the cosine law and regulates its internal nest temperature by opening and closing surface vents.

antsthermoregulationsolar geometryinsect behaviorbiophysics

3D · Three.js / WebGL renderer · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install