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Insect intelligence: exploring their cognitive abilities
昆虫的智力：探索它们的认知能力（上）
If I asked you to think of an intelligent creature, you’d probably say a chimp or a dolphin, right? But did you know that many insects are also incredibly smart? In fact, some of their cognitive skills might surprise you.
如果我让你想想一种聪明的生物，你可能会说黑猩猩或海豚，对吧？但你知道吗，许多昆虫也非常聪明？事实上，他们的一些认知能力可能会让你感到惊讶。
Ways in which insects exhibit cognitive abilities
昆虫展现认知能力的方式
When I talk about insect intelligence, I’m not referring to intelligence in the way that you or I might display this trait. But that’s because insects have very different brains to humans, and the way they process information is not the same either.
当我谈论昆虫的智力时，我并不是指你或我可能表现出这种特征的智力。但这是因为昆虫的大脑与人类非常不同，它们处理信息的方式也不一样。
Consider that a human brain can weigh between 2.9 and 3.1 lbs (1.3 and 1.4 kg), whereas a honey bee’s brain only weighs less than a small grain of sand. Knowing this, we would conclude that insects do not have the same level of cognition as we do. While that’s true to a degree, they have their own way of displaying smarts that’s pretty amazing when you consider their size.
考虑一下，人脑的重量可以在2.9到3.1磅（1.3到1.4公斤）之间，而蜜蜂的大脑比一粒沙子还要轻。知道这一点，我们会得出结论，昆虫的认知水平与我们不同。虽然这在一定程度上是正确的，但当你考虑到它们的体型时，它们有自己的聪明表现方式，这是非常惊人的。
Insect brains exhibit remarkable capabilities, enabling them to count, devise unique communication methods, and even identify faces.
昆虫的大脑表现出非凡的能力，使它们能够计数、设计独特的交流方法，甚至识别面孔。
Learning and memory
学习与记忆
In order to survive, it’s incredibly important that an organism has some sort of ability to learn and memorize information. Amazingly, insects are capable of both short and long-term memory and this helps them in many ways.
为了生存，生物体具有某种学习和记忆信息的能力是非常重要的。令人惊讶的是，昆虫具有短期和长期记忆能力，这在很多方面对它们都有帮助。
I’ve always been fascinated by honey bees, and one of the things that amazes me is their ability to learn where the best food sources are. Not only will they commit this to memory, but they’ll also use a special form of communication called a waggle dance to tell other members of their colony where to forage. And it’s not just honey bees, while bumble bees might not have as great a memory, they’re still able to recall food sources for several hours which helps them when foraging.
我一直对蜜蜂着迷，其中一件让我惊讶的事情是，它们有能力知道最好的食物来源在哪里。它们不仅会记住这一点，还会使用一种称为摇摆舞的特殊交流方式来告诉殖民地的其他成员在哪里觅食。不仅仅是蜜蜂，虽然大黄蜂可能没有那么好的记忆力，但它们仍然能够回忆起几个小时的食物来源，这有助于它们觅食。
Several studies have taken place on insects to determine their memory abilities, and one thing that many of them display is that they can learn to differentiate between reward and punishment. Various stimuli are presented to insects, such as odors, and over time, they’ll start to learn which odors offer a reward and which offer punishment. This is something that has been seen in wasps leading scientists to believe they could be trained in the same way as a sniffer dog!
已经对昆虫进行了几项研究，以确定它们的记忆能力，其中许多研究表明，它们可以学会区分奖励和惩罚。昆虫会受到各种刺激，如气味，随着时间的推移，它们会开始学习哪些气味提供奖励，哪些气味提供惩罚。这是在黄蜂身上看到的，这让科学家们相信它们可以像嗅探犬一样接受训练！
And if they’re not learning, they’ll give trial and error a go. For example, the fruit fly will learn to avoid certain scents when they’re linked to a bad experience. The benefit of this is that they’re better able to avoid potentially dangerous situations in the wild.
如果他们不学习，他们会尝试试错。例如，当某些气味与糟糕的体验有关时，果蝇会学会避开它们。这样做的好处是，它们能够更好地避免野外潜在的危险情况。
There is even evidence of caterpillars being exposed to certain odors and recalling this information even after they’ve undergone metamorphosis. Researchers performed studies on the tobacco hornworm caterpillar where mild electric shocks were delivered in association with a particular odor. Even once they reached adulthood, it was noted that they still associated these shocks with negative results.
甚至有证据表明，毛毛虫暴露在某些气味中，即使在经历了变态后也会回忆起这些信息。研究人员对烟草角虫毛虫进行了研究，其中轻微的电击与特定的气味有关。人们注意到，即使他们成年了，他们仍然将这些冲击与负面结果联系起来。
Spatial memory is also something we see in insects like ants, which are able to recall their nest location. They largely do this using visual cues, and this helps them to navigate their world.
空间记忆也是我们在蚂蚁等昆虫身上看到的，它们能够回忆起自己的巢穴位置。他们主要通过视觉线索来实现这一点，这有助于他们驾驭自己的世界。
Problem-solving skills
解决问题的能力
It would be hard to get through life without an ability to solve problems, and while insects have small brains, they’re still able to find solutions to complex tasks. For example, many insects have been seen to use tools. Ants are a prime example of this, and they’ve developed the ability to find absorbent materials to help transfer liquid food back to the nest.
如果没有解决问题的能力，很难度过一生，虽然昆虫的大脑很小，但它们仍然能够找到复杂任务的解决方案。例如，许多昆虫被发现会使用工具。蚂蚁就是一个很好的例子，它们已经发展出寻找吸收性材料的能力，以帮助将液体食物转移回巢穴。
Moreover, the assassin bugs found in arid parts of Australia are known to cover themselves in sticky plant resin to improve their prey capture abilities. Amazingly, this type of resin was used by primitive humans to make tools.
此外，众所周知，在澳大利亚干旱地区发现的刺客昆虫会用粘性植物树脂覆盖自己，以提高捕获猎物的能力。令人惊讶的是，这种树脂被原始人类用来制造工具。
When it comes to finding their way around, many insects have some awesome problem solving skills to get to a specific location. Some species of desert ant will use the sun’s position along with landmarks to find their way home and can even use their spatial reasoning to determine the best route to their destination.
在寻找方向时，许多昆虫都有一些很棒的解决问题的技能，可以到达特定的位置。一些沙漠蚂蚁会利用太阳的位置和地标来找到回家的路，甚至可以利用它们的空间推理来确定到达目的地的最佳路线。
There’s even been evidence to suggest that wasps may be able to use logical reasoning, and this is the first time this type of behavior has been noted in an insect.
甚至有证据表明，黄蜂可能能够使用逻辑推理，这是第一次在昆虫身上发现这种行为。
During tests, bumble bees were presented with two sugar containers and expected to find a way to open them. Older specimens seemed to be able to complete this problem solving task, but what was truly amazing was that younger bees appeared to watch and learn, proving that this species may pass on information to younger generations.
在测试过程中，向大黄蜂展示了两个糖容器，并期望它们能找到打开它们的方法。年长的蜜蜂似乎能够完成这项解决问题的任务，但真正令人惊讶的是，年轻的蜜蜂似乎在观察和学习，这证明了这个物种可能会将信息传递给年轻一代。
Communication and language
沟通与语言
Communication is essential in any species as it ensures their very survival by telling others where food is or if there’s an incoming threat. And insects communicate in some very unique ways.
沟通在任何物种中都是至关重要的，因为它通过告诉他人食物在哪里或是否有即将到来的威胁来确保它们的生存。昆虫以一些非常独特的方式进行交流。
Earlier, I mentioned the waggle dance performed by honey bees, and this isn’t just a way to let others know that there is food nearby. Honey bees performed certain moves to indicate the direction and quality of the food source. Moreover, these ‘moves’ are passed down to younger bees as they watch their elders perform them!
早些时候，我提到了蜜蜂表演的摇摆舞，这不仅仅是让别人知道附近有食物的一种方式。蜜蜂通过某些动作来指示食物来源的方向和质量。此外，这些“动作”会传给年轻的蜜蜂，因为它们会看着年长的蜜蜂表演！
Honey bees, and many other insects, such as ants, also use pheromone communication. Quite often, this is used to signal danger, and these chemical cues alert the rest of the colony who can then take action to protect their nest. Queen bees also produce pheromones that influence the behavior of the colony and tell them when she’s ready to mate or even die!
蜜蜂和许多其他昆虫，如蚂蚁，也使用信息素进行交流。通常，这被用来表示危险，这些化学信号会提醒蚁群的其他成员，然后他们可以采取行动保护自己的巢穴。蜂王还会产生信息素，影响蜂群的行为，并告诉它们何时准备交配甚至死亡！
Ants will also use pheromones to mark trails to viable food sources which makes it easier for other members of the colony to follow the trail and bring more food back.
蚂蚁还将使用信息素标记通往可行食物来源的路径，这使得蚁群的其他成员更容易追踪路径并带回更多食物。
While insects are incapable of speech, that doesn’t mean they don’t use audible cues to communicate. If you’ve ever heard crickets chirping, that’s not just a random noise; it’s actually a song designed to attract a mate.
虽然昆虫不能说话，但这并不意味着它们不使用声音线索进行交流。如果你听过蟋蟀的鸣叫声，那不仅仅是一种随机的噪音；这实际上是一首旨在吸引伴侣的歌曲。
Tactile communication is also common in the insect kingdom, meaning that they use touch to communicate. Honey bees will create vibrations within the hive and are often done to alert individuals that a waggle dance is taking place on the outside.
触觉交流在昆虫王国也很常见，这意味着它们用触觉进行交流。蜜蜂会在蜂箱内产生振动，通常是为了提醒个体外面正在发生摇摆舞。
Ants are another species that use this type of communication and will touch their antennae to those of another ant in order to determine whether they’re from the same colony.
蚂蚁是另一种使用这种交流方式的物种，它们会将触角与另一只蚂蚁的触角接触，以确定它们是否来自同一个蚁群。
Social behavior
社会行为学
Many species of insects live in highly social groups called colonies. Examples include bees, termites, and ants, and the numbers in these colonies can be in the tens of thousands. In order for these colonies to thrive, there needs to be a tight social structure, which often means having a hierarchy or caste system. This might include reproductive castes and worker castes and in many ant species, they’ll develop different body shapes according to their caste!
许多种类的昆虫生活在高度社会化的群体中，称为群体。例如蜜蜂、白蚁和蚂蚁，这些群体的数量可能达到数万。为了使这些殖民地蓬勃发展，需要有一个紧密的社会结构，这通常意味着有一个等级制度或种姓制度。这可能包括生殖种姓和工蚁种姓，在许多蚂蚁物种中，它们会根据种姓发展出不同的体型！
On top of that, the colony is divided into different job roles, with each insect playing an important part. In the honey bee hive, worker bees head out to forage, and nurse bees tend to the eggs and larvae. There are also drones, which are males, and their sole purpose it is to mate with the queen. In ant colonies, there are even soldiers whose job is to protect the nest.
除此之外，该群体被划分为不同的工作角色，每种昆虫都扮演着重要的角色。在蜂巢里，工蜂出去觅食，而哺乳蜂则照料卵和幼虫。还有雄蜂，它们的唯一目的是与女王交配。在蚁群中，甚至有士兵的工作是保护巢穴。
And some ant species even display altruistic behaviors, creating a distraction for a predator and self-sacrificing for the good of the colony. Honey bees also display this type of behavior and will sting, resulting in death, if it means the colony will survive.
一些蚂蚁甚至表现出利他行为，为捕食者制造分心，并为群体的利益自我牺牲。蜜蜂也会表现出这种行为，如果这意味着蜂群能够存活，它们会蜇人，导致死亡。
Without the intense cooperation we see in insect colonies and their ability to work together, their social structures would not survive. What’s more, in a study on wasps, it was noted that social species relied more heavily on group power than on their own brains, with certain parts of the brain associated with social skills even shrinking.
如果没有我们在昆虫群落中看到的密切合作以及它们协同工作的能力，它们的社会结构将无法生存。更重要的是，在一项关于黄蜂的研究中，人们注意到，社会物种更依赖群体力量，而不是自己的大脑，与社会技能相关的大脑的某些部分甚至在萎缩。
Do insects have brains?
昆虫有大脑吗？
Insects do have brains, but they’re not made up in the same way as human brains. This is largely to do with the number of neurons. Humans have around 86 billion, whereas a fruit fly only has 200,000.
昆虫确实有大脑，但它们的组成方式与人类大脑不同。这在很大程度上与神经元的数量有关。人类大约有860亿只，而果蝇只有20万只。
However, like human brains, the insect brain can be broken down into three basic parts; the protocerebrum, the deutocerebrum, and the tritocerebrum. However, many insects also have other small brain parts that further assist their senses and ability to learn and memorize. Let’s take a look at what each part is responsible for.
然而，与人脑一样，昆虫的大脑可以分为三个基本部分；原脑、中脑和三脑。然而，许多昆虫也有其他小的大脑部分，进一步帮助它们的感官和学习记忆的能力。让我们来看看每个部分负责什么。
The protocerebrum is the biggest part of the insect’s brain and indeed, the most complex. It’s here that information is processed in relation to senses like sight and smell as well as the insect’s motor functions. It’s here that memory and learning also take place.
原脑是昆虫大脑中最大的部分，实际上也是最复杂的部分。正是在这里，信息被处理与视觉和嗅觉等感官以及昆虫的运动功能有关。记忆和学习也在这里发生。
The deutocerebrum processes information in relation to senses such as touch and smell.
中脑处理与触觉和嗅觉等感官相关的信息。
The smallest part of the insect brain is the tritocerebrum, and it’s here that information is processed in relation to the nervous system and coordination.
昆虫大脑中最小的部分是三脑，在这里处理与神经系统和协调有关的信息。
As I mentioned, we do see some other cerebral structures in insects, and one such example are the mushroom bodies. Mushroom bodies are vital for the insects’ sensory processing and are small structures that receive information from the sensory organs.
正如我提到的，我们确实在昆虫身上看到了一些其他的大脑结构，其中一个例子就是蘑菇体。蘑菇体对昆虫的感觉处理至关重要，是从感觉器官接收信息的小结构。
Not only this, but the mushroom bodies are also able to form associations between various sensory inputs, which helps the insect in its learning and ability to memorize information related to these. In fact, it’s thought that the mushroom bodies are where most memory information is stored in the insect brain.
不仅如此，蘑菇体还能够在各种感官输入之间形成关联，这有助于昆虫学习和记忆与这些相关的信息。事实上，人们认为蘑菇体是昆虫大脑中存储大部分记忆信息的地方。
When we look at the size of the mushroom bodies in any given insect, we can see that those with larger structures are more advanced in their cognitive abilities.
当我们观察任何给定昆虫的蘑菇体的大小时，我们可以看到那些结构更大的昆虫在认知能力方面更先进。
Another brain structure we see in insects is the optic lobe. This is a small part of the brain that processes information from the optic surfaces and sends it to the brain.
我们在昆虫身上看到的另一种大脑结构是视叶。这是大脑的一小部分，处理来自光学表面的信息并将其发送到大脑。
【注】下期我们将跟大家分享几种常见昆虫的“高明之处”，敬请期待！
【Source】www.natureroamer.com
【Translated by】Spark Liao (廖怀宝)
【Illustration】From Bing
