Do Wasps Really Remember Faces?
WouterDuring the past decade, scientists have become increasingly interested in the question of whether or not wasps really remember faces. These insects have evolved an analogous system to humans in order to recognize the faces of their conspecifics. The visual signals of individual identity have been studied in the paper wasp Polistes fuscatus, and the honeybee Anthidium cyanoticum.
In the paper wasp Polistes fuscatus, visual signals are used to convey information about the individual’s fighting ability. When a nest mate sees a visually altered wasp, it displays more aggression toward that wasp than toward a control wasp.
In the paper wasp Polistes dominula, visual signals are also used to convey information about the individual’s identity. However, the wasps lack the antennae that would show proficiency in distinguishing faces.
These visual signals also appear to be useful for minimizing the cost of conflict between unfamiliar rivals. However, the insects lack sufficient variation in the signals to allow individual recognition. This may be a sign of intermediate stages in the evolution of face specialization.
Scientists have also studied the face-learning abilities of the paper wasp P. metricus. These insects learn to differentiate between simple geometric patterns and faces as quickly as they do other images.
However, the paper wasp does not have a specialized face-processing mechanism like the human brain. Its face-processing system may be more holistic, and may serve a similar function.
The researchers suggest that the ability of the paper wasp to distinguish faces may be inherited, or learned through experience. They also note that the ability may be influenced by the specific neuronal networks involved in face processing. The results suggest that future research will be necessary to further explore the face-processing specialization of the wasps.
