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Smart Insects - How Tiny Brains Do Brilliant Things

August 28, 2024

The latest research shows we’ve long underestimated the intelligence of insects. Bumblebees, for example, succeed at behavioral tests also passed by intelligent crows.

https://p.dw.com/p/4jAa1
DW Dokumentationen | Smarte Insekten – Wie winzige Gehirne Geniales leisten
Image: ZDF

They use tools to reach nectar in an artificial flower.

Portrait of the biologist Elizabeth Tibbetts
Elizabeth Tibbetss says: “Paper wasps can memorize faces”.Image: ZDF

Behavioral biologist Elizabeth Tibbetts is amazed at the paper wasp’s capacity to learn and understand. "They may not be universal geniuses like artists, but they’re brilliant in their fields,” says the researcher at the University of Michigan. The animals can memorize faces, eavesdrop on fighting rivals to assess potential opponents and think strategically. They can master brain teasers that even small children can’t solve.

A bumblebee just landing on a flower.
Are bumblebees more intelligent than previously thought?Image: ZDF

Bumblebees, along with their relatives bees and paper wasps, are just three of almost a million insect species worldwide. But when it comes to these species, science agrees that the image of robotic creatures with no intelligence, that only exist to eat, be eaten or produce offspring, is outdated.

A bee with 5 diamonds with memorized terms above it.
Bees can store a lot of information in their brains and retrieve it later.Image: ZDF

Below, above and alongside us live tiny animals capable of learning and acting with intelligence. They are able to store images, shapes, colors and experiences in their brains. For a long time, it was generally believed that intelligent behavior in insects was superfluous, as most only live for a few weeks.

Female earwigs with their offspring.
The way in which earwigs care for their brood is determinant for their offspringImage: ZDF

Earwigs live for about a year; as babies, their mothers apparently teach them how to nurture their own brood. What’s even more surprising: insects from the same clutch can develop different personality traits. In horseradish flea beetles, for example, some are braver than others.

Two paper wasps standing close to each other, ready to attack.
Two female paper wasps assess their chances of winning in the event of a fight.Image: ZDF

And, as evolutionary biologist Elizabeth Tibbetts says: "Paper wasps are as bitchy as the protagonists of Game of Thrones." The animals plot, betray colleagues and fight to the death to be queen.

The insect world is much more complex than previously thought. One reason is that any species with a wide range of diverse individuals can better adapt to climate changes - an evolutionary advantage for survival.

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