Researchers find that some insects are able to count

Insects, while not creatures enjoyed by everyone, are capable of simply amazing things. And, according to El Mundo, a group of researchers has now found that some of these pets are also able to count.

According to the publication, the ability to count was always believed to be a unique characteristic of vertebrate animals. However, the study - conducted by researchers at the University of Valencia, Spain, and Oxford, England - found that male bugs, a small Tenebrio molitor beetle, can count the number of rivals. which will have to compete to mate with a female.

Calculation and competition

As the researchers explained, the bugs face tough competition to fertilize their females, because if other males mate with the bugs before a certain time interval, the first beetle sperm is lost and the fertilization occurs with the material deposited by the rival.

Thus, to make sure the sperm is safe - and well stored by the female - the mealworm needs to calculate how many males are around to estimate how long it should remain alert, watching over the “beetle”. A previous study by the same researchers had already shown that some insects are able to estimate the amount of objects present in a group.

Such a skill can be extremely advantageous because if a species needs to decide which plant to visit, it is very useful to know which one has the most flowers or fruits, for example.