What can paper wasps teach us about animal communication?

June 18, 2024

Contact: Jon Meerdink ([email protected])

ANN ARBOR — Wasps are an ever-present feature of summer life in the United States, but there may be more to these insects than you might think.

According to Dr. Elizabeth Tibbetts of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, paper wasps have a lot to teach us about animal communication and societal structure.

Speaking earlier this year at the Institute for Social Research, Dr. Tibbetts explained that paper wasps actually have complex methods of communication, even recognizing the faces of the wasps that share their nests.

Hear more from Dr. Tibbetts about this fascinating species on the latest episode of The Abstract, and be sure to subscribe to The Abstract wherever you get your podcasts.

Scroll to Top