WONDERMINUTE (November 2010)

O LORD, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. Psalm 104:24

Photo: Firebugs, Eniko Gyuris,
National Geographic

Discovery begins with wonderment; a childlikeness that stops to observe and to be captivated by the wonders present in the world. It was this type of single-minded curiosity which recently led members of the Behavioral Ecology Research Group at the University of Debrecen, Hungary, to discover that insects called firebugs (Pyrrhocoris apterus) seem to display personality which is measurable.

"Boldness -- whether they are shier or braver -- could be defined, for example, as to how quickly they start after an alarm, or how soon they come out of their refuge," says Eniko Gyuris, a member of the Behavioral Ecology Research Group. "Explorativeness could be measured in another context, namely in which they have the opportunity to discover a new environment with novel objects."

Collecting the bugs from the wild, the researchers tested firebug responses in varying situations. One experiment gauged the reaction of individual firebugs placed into a circular arena which contained four colored plugs. The team recorded how long it took for the firebug to examine its surroundings, how fast the bug moved, how many objects were explored and other variables. 

Each firebug showed unique responses to the trial and, whether bold and brave or tentative and shy, each firebug’s unique behaviors were repeated consistently across other experiments.

 See: Even Bugs Have Personality [Twitter: @Discovery_News]