The Wasp Method of Keeping Peace

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Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
05 November 2023 Sunday 03:30
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The Wasp Method of Keeping Peace

* The author is part of the community of readers of La Vanguardia

The low temperatures that we have typical of this autumn season means that some insects are affected, such as this polyester wasp that I found on the ground in the gardens of the Pedralbes monastery in Barcelona and that I have managed to photograph for the Readers' Photos. The vanguard.

I tried to revive her while I was doing the report. The end of it seems to me to have been an appetizer for some bird, because, when I returned, it was no longer there.

The truth is that contemplating the behavior of this wasp is a great learning experience for human beings. Quite a lesson in these times, once again, of wars on the covers.

A study carried out by American researchers, published by Science magazine, showed that the paper wasp, Polistes fuscatus, is capable of learning to recognize the facial features of its colony mates. This fact is important for harmony between them, since, by recognizing the other wasps, it has been proven that they reduce aggression and that helps peace prevail.

In human beings we could think of respect for our neighbors, other people who, because they belong to the human race, must be the object of charity and solidarity. Recognizing ourselves as human beings is something we can do and that can keep us away from conflicts.

It seems that the animal world once again gives us a lesson that invites us to reflect. This facial learning of Polistes fuscatus wasps that leads them to recognize themselves and avoid problems in the colony is also present "in primates and other mammals," according to the study.

This species of wasp remembers faces for at least a week, a fairly long period of time in the life of a wasp. What is still unknown is how many faces they are able to remember.

Individual recognition is essential for the paper wasp during the first part of the nesting cycle, when the number of queens is small. In this way, they regulate social interaction and reduce the risk of conflicts in the colony.