Title: "Fascinating Discoveries: 10 Insects Behaving Like Humans"

Title: "Fascinating Discoveries: 10 Insects Behaving Like Humans"

The natural world is full of astonishing surprises, and one of the most captivating facets of biodiversity is the wide range of behaviors displayed by various species. Despite the common perception of insects as creatures driven by instinct and simplicity, there have been astonishing findings of insects demonstrating traits and behaviors reminiscent of humans. Inhabitants of nearly every imaginable environment, insects constitute a staggering 80 percent of all animal species, with approximately 1,250,000 known animal species, one million of which are insects. Fossil evidence attests to their existence for more than 350 million years.

The incredible diversity in size, shape, color, biology, and life histories of insects makes the study of these creatures exceptionally intriguing. According to scientific reports, insects belong to the arthropod phylum and have three distinct body segments: the head, thorax, and abdomen.

Insects display a remarkable variety in their dietary habits. Many insects are omnivorous, meaning they can consume a wide range of foods, including plants, fungi, deceased animals, decomposing organic matter, and virtually anything they come across in their environment. On the other hand, some insects are dietary specialists, relying exclusively on a single plant species or even a specific part of one particular plant for their survival.

These remarkable findings challenge our understanding of insect intelligence and social interactions, providing valuable insights into the intricate world of these diminutive creatures. In this article, we will explore ten astonishing instances of insects exhibiting human-like behaviors.

1. The Ant Architect

Among the most impressive insect architects are leafcutter ants (Atta and Acromyrmex species). These tiny engineers have perfected the art of teamwork and social organization. Leafcutter ants are known for their cooperative construction of extensive underground nests, which consist of various chambers serving different functions. They even have specialized worker ants responsible for cultivating fungus gardens that serve as their primary food source.

Imagine constructing a building without any architectural blueprints or architects and a clear vision of the final structure. It might sound like a disaster waiting to happen, but this is precisely what ants and termites regularly accomplish, and the outcomes are truly remarkable. They can create vast underground cities with interconnected chambers and galleries, or towering mounds equipped with their built-in air conditioning, all without comprehensive plans or large brains guiding them. How do they achieve this?

This enigma, which has puzzled scientists for a long time, is now beginning to be unraveled by Guy Theraulaz from Paul Sabatier University. Through his research on the common black garden ant, he has demonstrated that these insects incorporate their architectural designs directly into the very walls of their constructions as they go about building them.

The choice of the black garden ant as the subject of study is well-suited because, in addition to constructing underground chambers that are difficult to observe and study, it also constructs small mounds by stacking soil particles together.

This longstanding mystery is beginning to be unraveled by Guy Theraulaz from Paul Sabatier University. Through his research on the common black garden ant, he has demonstrated that these insects encode their architectural plans directly into the walls of their constructions during the building process.

The common black garden ant is an ideal subject for this study because, in addition to digging underground chambers that are challenging to observe and study, it also builds small mounds by stacking soil particles together.

To comprehend the process by which ants construct these nests, Theraulaz's team placed 500 of them in a large Petri dish covered with a thin layer of soil. Within a few hours, the ants began constructing. They would collect small amounts of soil and shape them into pellets, which they then stacked into regularly spaced pillars, approximately ten millimeters apart. Once these pillars reached a certain height, the ants added soil to their sides, forming caps, arches, and eventually closed roofs.

Interestingly, the ants appear to use their bodies as measuring tools when constructing the roofs. When the pillars reach a height of four millimeters, the average length of an ant worker, they stop building upwards and instead start extending laterally.

The construction of the pillars is a bit more intricate. The team observed that ants were more likely to place their pellets in locations where previous pellets had already been deposited and less inclined to pick up pellets from those same spots. This behavior is likely due to the ants impregnating their pellets with some form of pheromone, which attracts other workers. This is why they tend to gather around a pillar constructed by other ants but not around an equivalent one created by Theraulaz's team using fresh soil.

2. The Decision-Making Bees (Honey bee).

Honeybees continue to amaze researchers with their decision-making abilities. In one study, bees were trained to solve complex puzzles in exchange for sugary rewards. Surprisingly, these bees demonstrated an ability to choose between multiple puzzle-solving strategies, adapting their approach based on the difficulty level and previous experiences—a behavior that mirrors human decision-making processes. 

These insects can be categorized into three groups: drones, workers, and the queen. Drones, the males, have the primary role of mating with the queen, but after mating, they die. Workers, which are female, are responsible for foraging for nectar to feed the hive's bees. They also tend to the eggs that have the potential to become queens by providing them with royal jelly. Workers have the remarkable ability to detect their hormones, especially in the presence of the queen, ensuring they remain close to her. Even if the queen is far away, they can locate another queen in a different hive.

The queen is the solitary insect in charge. She is the sole recipient of the workers' care and possesses the capacity to lay a substantial number of eggs for fertilization. However, due to her larger size and unique status, she cannot fly as freely as the others.

The waggle dance in honeybees provides a unique insight into how their neural processes help them choose between behavioral options, like deciding between a feeding location they know from past experiences and a location indicated by a dancing bee. Followers of the dance decide whether to explore the reported location or return to their previous spot, depending on information extracted from the dance and their memory of the old location (Biesmeijer and Seeley 2005). Bees take shortcuts between these sites under various conditions, such as how many dances they've followed, the proximity of the sites, and whether the shortcut is shorter or equally long as the return to the hive (Menzel et al. 2011). These neural processes involve retrieving stored vector information (from experience and dance communication) or operating on a map-like memory structure, which requires activating the relevant memories simultaneously. This activation allows the bees to make decisions about which site to choose, prioritize, approach, or abandon in favor of returning home. The central question is whether a bee can effectively navigate this complex decision-making process.

3. The Grieving Termites

Termites, often seen as destructive pests, have been observed displaying unexpected emotional behavior. In a study from 2018, researchers discovered that when a termite colony experienced the loss of a queen, worker termites displayed signs of grief. They became less active, ate less, and exhibited mourning behaviors, suggesting a level of attachment and emotional response to the loss—a striking similarity to human mourning rituals.

Termites exhibit behavior that can be compared to certain human behaviors in some interesting ways:

 **Social Organization**: Termites live in highly organized colonies, similar to human societies. Within these colonies, there is a division of labor, with different castes performing specific roles, much like different human professions and societal roles.

**Construction Skills**: Termites are master builders. They construct elaborate and intricate mound structures and tunnel systems, which can be compared to human architectural achievements. These structures serve as homes and provide temperature regulation, similar to how humans build houses for shelter and comfort.

**Agriculture**: Some termite species practice fungus farming. They cultivate fungal gardens within their nests, which they feed on. This can be seen as a form of agriculture, somewhat akin to human farming practices.

**Communication**: Termites communicate with each other using chemical signals called pheromones, which can be seen as a form of chemical language. Humans also rely on complex communication systems, including language, to convey information and coordinate activities.

**Resource Management**: Termites efficiently manage resources within their colonies, optimizing the allocation of food, caring for the young, and maintaining the nest. This mirrors how humans manage resources within communities and households.

**Conflict and Defense**: Termites engage in defensive behaviors to protect their colonies from threats. Humans also form defenses, such as armies and security systems, to protect their communities from external dangers.

While these parallels between termite behavior and human behavior are fascinating, it's important to note that these behaviors in termites are driven by instinct and biological programming, whereas human behaviors are often influenced by a combination of instinct, learned behaviors, culture, and society.

4. The Musical Katydid

Katydids are known for their distinctive songs, which they produce by rubbing their wings together. One species, the Mormon cricket (Anabrus simplex), displays a level of coordination similar to human musical ensembles. When a group of male Mormon crickets form a chorus, they synchronize their songs to create a harmonious symphony that can be heard from a considerable distance.

5. The Altruistic Aphids

Aphids are typically considered pests due to their ability to rapidly reproduce and damage plants. However, a peculiar behavior displayed by some aphids has caught the attention of scientists. When threatened by predators, certain aphid species will burst, releasing a sticky fluid that entangles and distracts the predator, allowing the rest of the colony to escape—displaying a form of self-sacrifice and cooperation not unlike human altruism.

6. The Ant Agriculture

Leafcutter ants might be impressive architects, but they also excel in farming! These industrious insects cultivate fungus gardens by carrying leaf cuttings to their underground colonies. The leaves serve as the substrate for the fungus to grow, and the ants carefully tend to their crops by pruning and protecting them, much like humans tend to their agricultural fields.

7.  The Wasp Diplomat

The European paper wasp (Polistes dominula) displays a level of social complexity that rivals human societies. These wasps are known for their remarkable problem-solving abilities and unique communication skills. They can recognize and remember individual faces, which is essential for maintaining harmony within their colonies.

8. The Compassionate Bee

Researchers studying the behavior of honeybees (Apis mellifera) have uncovered evidence of empathy-like behavior. In a study published in 2019, scientists observed compassionate bee consoling nest-mates in distress. When exposed to stressful situations, bees exhibited behaviors such as grooming and physical contact with distressed individuals, suggesting a form of emotional support similar to human empathy.

9. The Dancing Moths

Moths are not typically associated with the same level of social interaction as bees or ants. However, a specific species called the Japanese oak silk moth (Antheraea yamamai) has intrigued researchers with its intricate mating rituals. Males perform elaborate and rhythmic dances to attract females, displaying a form of courtship behavior akin to human romantic gestures.

10. The Beetle Artists

In a surprising display of artistic ingenuity, male bowerbirds (of the Ptilonorhynchidae family) construct elaborate bowers to attract potential mates. These structures are not mere nests but intricate display areas decorated with an assortment of colorful and carefully arranged objects. The males use these bowers as stages to perform elaborate courtship dances to impress female bowerbirds—a testament to their ability to create and appreciate beauty.

Conclusively, The natural world never ceases to amaze us with its astonishing diversity and complex behaviors. The examples of insects behaving like humans offer a unique insight into the potential for intelligence, cooperation, and emotional responses among these tiny creatures. While these discoveries have challenged our understanding of insect cognition and social dynamics, they also highlight the remarkable diversity of life on our planet. As research continues, we are sure to uncover even more fascinating secrets hidden within the intricate lives of insects, inviting us to view these small creatures in a whole new light.

WRITTEN BY LEXFRIDMAN
PENNAME: ALBANY