Speed-dependent attraction governs what goes on at the heart of midge swarms
(PHYSorg.com Physics)

Ever wondered what makes the collective behaviour in insect swarms possible? Andy Reynolds from Rothamsted Research, UK, and colleagues at Stanford University, California, USA, modelled the effect of the attraction force, which resembles Newton`s gravity force, acting towards the centre of a midge swarm to give cohesion to their group movement. In a recent study published in EPJ E, their model reveals that the gravity-like attraction towards the heart of the swarm increases with an individual`s flight speed. The authors confirmed the existence of such an attractive force with experimental data.