Скачать или смотреть Most INTELLIGENT Insects

From busy bees and conscious cockroaches … to ants dominating the world … Here are 12 of the world’s most intelligent insects

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#5 Cockroaches
Before you step on another cockroach, here’s something to consider: Could you be squashing an intelligent animal underfoot? While they make for epic pests, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re conscious. But some Belgian researchers claim the bugs have distinct personalities and individual character traits. The studies suggest that these qualities could help explain why cockroaches are such legendary survivors. The bugs have been extensively researched over time. They have shown evidence of forming social hierarchies, and making decisions as a group. Roaches have sturdy memories used for navigation, can communicate with chemical signals, and might recognize individual group members. When placed in isolation, specimens have developed behavioral disorders. Some scientists say the critters might even possess a sense of self! If cockroaches do have minds, what would they think about?

#4 Termites
There’s a certain insectoid irony when it comes to these creatures. While they’re known for damaging buildings by humans, termites are adept at creating amazing structures of their own. The dwellings are made from chewed wood, soil, mud, and clods of their waste. And the mounds can attain some jaw-dropping sizes. Certain species have been documented to construct mounds that reach some 9 meters (30 feet), and contain structures that resemble chimneys and pinnacles. The tallest termite mound documented to date measured around 13 meters (42 feet) and was located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. But the architecture aboveground only tells part of the story. The colony can descend for several acres underground. The insects’ engineering skills allows it to function like a self-sustaining city, including an efficient system of thermoregulation.

#3 Tarantula Hawk Wasp
With a common name like that you might think this creature is the hybrid offspring of an arachnid and a bird. It’s a scary beast with a scary name, but it refers to the behavior of the female. She will hunt down tarantulas, kill them, and then use their corpses as a feeding ground for her larvae. That dark strategy is what earns the insect a place on our list. At about 5 centimeters long (2 inches) they’re known as one of the larger wasp species. But they’re better known for delivering one of the most agonizing stings in the animal kingdom. The sting is used to lethal effect on tarantulas. The females use their powerful venom to paralyze the spiders with their sting, and drag them back to the brood nest. The mother places her larvae inside the tarantula, where they feed from within. The larvae are smart enough to avoid the host’s vital organs until they mature. The longer the spider survives, the longer the larvae are assured for food and shelter. While it seems like something out of a horror movie, it’s a sophisticated way to ensure that the species survives.

#2 Ant Supercolonies
Ants are known as builders, and that includes an expertise with creating supercolonies. But it turns out that they could be smart enough to conquer the world. The largest supercolony known to date is found along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts of Southern Europe. That structure is estimated to stretch more than 3,700 miles (6,000 km) at minimum. Researchers think there could be millions of nests with billions of workers. These supercolonies can be found all over the world, with enormous colonies also reported in Japan and Australia. But it seems that the same species of ant is behind the worldwide expansion. The Argentine ant, an invasive species, is able to make ants from other colonies all work together in unison. It’s led to a theory that the Argentine ants are developing super colonies as part of a master plan worthy of a James Bond villain. The ants might be trying to create one mega-colony that spans the entire planet. Should we be worried about their potential for global domination?


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