Wasps can recognize and remember individual human faces.

Is it true that wasps can recognize and remember individual human faces?

Partly. One peer-reviewed study shows Vespula vulgaris wasps can be trained to discriminate human face images, but only after conditioning and with degraded performance on rotated stimuli. Other peer-reviewed sources indicate wasp face recognition is specific to conspecific faces and that honeybees and Vespula wasps do not naturally recognize human faces, so the evidence only partially addresses the claim.

Verdict: CONTESTED PARTIAL · 1 source for, 3 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.

Avarguès-Weber, A., d’Amaro, D., Metzler, M., Garcia, J. E., & Dyer, A. (2017). Recognition of human face images by the free flying wasp Vespula vulgaris. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.26451/ABC.04.03.09.2017

Individual recognition is associated with holistic face processing in Polistes paper wasps in a species-specific way - PMC Lock. (n.d.). pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.3010

EA, T., J, P., J, R., & A, A. (2021). Individual recognition is associated with holistic face processing in <i>Polistes</i> paper wasps in a species-specific way.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.3010

JP, T., SE, M., SM, V. B., HI, W., CM, J., S, V., RJ, S., AW, L., TJ, P., FMK, U., A, W., & MJ, S. (2023). Evidence for a selective link between cooperation and individual recognition.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2023.11.032

Elizabeth, T., Michelle, F., & Meagan, S. (2021). Individual recognition and individual identity signals in Polistes fuscatus wasps vary geographically. zenodo.org. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.9cnp5hqfs