[Leps-l] looking for info about butterfly recognition of individual humans

[Michael Gochfeld]

It shouldn't be a surprise that an insect can recognized a food-giver or a threat.  Whether and how they classify these and to what extent they can distinguish individuals can be tested.  How long they "remember" ----not sure.  Whether they recognize visually or olfactory, and whether it is the person or the body language would be good to study.

On a different note:

Although everyone knows that birds are superior beings, it surprised me that Common Terns could recognize a threat arriving in an orange VW van from one year to the next and fly out to attack and stain the vehicle before the person even got out, having not seen the vehicle or person for 10 months.

MIKE GOCHFELD

________________________________
From: Leps-l <leps-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> on behalf of Bill Cornelius <billcor at mcn.org>
Sent: Friday, July 8, 2022 12:45 AM
To: Leps list <leps-l at mailman.yale.edu>
Subject: [Leps-l] looking for info about butterfly recognition of individual humans

Hi List:

I read some time ago, before fact checking was an industry, that some reared Heliconius charithonia will recognize individual people that have acted threateningly or non threateningly towards them and react correspondingly days or weeks later. Can anyone send me any info on that? My own experience with Polygonias indicates they do have that capability. I'm looking for support but any info will do.

thanks
Bill Cornelius
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