Communication systems require coordination between senders and receivers, therefore
understanding how novel signals arise is challenging. Intraspecific geographic variation in …

Highlights•Some paper wasps have highly developed social cognition, while others lack
aspects of such traits.•Variability in social cognition across wasps make them an ideal model …

The study of complex behaviors is often challenging when using manual annotation due to
the absence of quantifiable behavioral definitions and the subjective nature of behavioral …

Research on neighbor-stranger discrimination theory has revealed the significance of social
context and biological traits affecting the mechanisms that drive social discrimination, such …

Highlights•Paper wasps have a geographically variable communication system.•Both
individual identity signals and individual recognition varied across populations.•Wasps …

Visual illusions are errors in signal perception and inform us about the visual and cognitive
processes of different animals. Invertebrates are relatively less studied for their illusionary …

Individual recognition is critical for social behavior across species. Whether recognition is
mediated by circuits specialized for social information processing has been a matter of …

Abstract Polistes paper wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) are a species-rich group of social
insects. Researchers have noted a wide diversity in facial color patterns among species, and …

Aggression is a highly conserved behavior and exists along a spectrum from adaptive to
maladaptive. Adaptive aggression can serve to protect mates, territory, and resources …