Paper wasps have a photographic memory for the faces of other wasps.

the verdict

INSUFFICIENT LEANING

Recorded sources

2 sources for · 0 against

Counts group repeated records of the same source within each side. They do not measure evidence strength or source independence.

Is it true that paper wasps have a photographic memory for the faces of other wasps?

Unclear. Two peer-reviewed/reference items indicate that Polistes fuscatus paper wasps recognize and remember the faces of other wasps and use facial patterns to identify conspecifics, but neither establishes the stronger 'photographic memory' claim.

Verdict: PARTIAL LEAN · 2 sources for, 0 against · Last checked 3 Oct 2026

The private library was unavailable for some searches in this check. Missing library results are not evidence against the claim.

Evidence for · 2

Wasps Can Recognize Faces | National Geographic

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Wasps Can Recognize Faces | National Geographic. (n.d.). nationalgeographic.com. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/111202-wasps-people-faces-recognition-insects-science-animals

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More for · 1

Individual recognition is associated with holistic face processing in Polistes paper wasps in a species-specific way

2021

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Individual recognition is associated with holistic face processing in Polistes paper wasps in a species-specific way. (2021). hal.science. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.3010

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