Wasp mums use excellent memory to feed offspring

WASP mothers have stunning brainpower when it comes to feeding their young, new research shows.

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Digger wasps make a short burrow for each egg, stocking it with food and returning a few days later to provide more.

The study reveals that mother wasps can remember the locations of up to nine separate nests at once, rarely making mistakes despite the fact nests are dug in bare sand containing hundreds belonging to other females.

Mothers feed their young in age order, adjusting the order if one dies, and they can even delay feeding offspring that had more food at the first visit. Their intricate scheduling reduces the chance that offspring starve.

"Our findings suggest that the miniature brain of an insect is capable of remarkably sophisticated scheduling decisions," said Professor Jeremy Field, from the University of Exeter.