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Desert ants feeding on dead arthropods forage for food items that are distributed unpredictably in space and time in the food-scarce terrain of the Saharan salt pans [1]. Scavengers of the genus Cataglyphis forage individually and do not lay pheromone trails [2]. They rely primarily on path integration [3] for navigation and, in addition, use visual [4] and

olfactory cues [5-7].While most studies have focused on the

navigational mechanisms of ants targeting a familiar place

like the nest or a learned feeding site, little is known about

how ants locate food in their natural environment. Here we show that

Cataglyphis fortis is highly sensitive to and attracted by food odors, especially the necromone linoleic

acid, enabling them to locate tiny arthropods over several meters in distance. Furthermore, during the search for food, ants use extensive crosswind walks that increase the

chances of localizing food plumes. By combining high sensitivity toward food odors with crosswind runs, the

ants efficiently screen the desert for food and hence reduce the time spent foraging in their harsh desert environment.