Insects with Personality

FAIRFAX, Va. (October 14, 2013) – Like humans, not all individuals in a group of insects act alike. They have distinct personalities that can either help or hinder their survival.

Research with spiders at the University of Pittsburgh found that groups of docile individuals reproduced and spread faster than aggressive groups. However, the docile spiders were wiped out by invasive bugs. The aggressive spiders were able to protect themselves against these outside threats.

Further research might be able to show how different personalities interact in social insects such as ants and bees.