If they’re all after your coke, they’re downright annoying. But wasps are indeed useful. And they turn out to be very smart.
Smart spike recognizes people
Wasp intelligence is evident from research by Monash University in Australia. In a series of experiments, the researchers showed European wasps two blue cards, slightly differently colored. If the animals sat on one color, they were rewarded with sugar water. But even without that reward, the wasps managed to distinguish between the shades of blue after some practice. It has previously been shown that wasps can distinguish human faces. In other words: they can recognize you. So think twice the next time you try to whack such a troublemaker.
Even shorter:
- They may all look the same, but there are at least four hundred species of wasps in the Netherlands.
- Wasps are used as pest controllers because they eat insects.
- When a wasp feels threatened, it secretes pheromones. In this way, it sends a signal to its peers, who then come to the animal’s aid.
If that black and yellow buzzer got you, what is the best thing to do against a wasp sting?
Want more short science news? Read here: why you don’t need a joint thanks to your brain, what exactly sleeping dogs hear and how a chatbot trumps the doctor.
2023-12-28 12:37:31
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