Philosophy-of-mind
Guides
Sphex
digger wasps
Sphex is a cosmopolitan genus of solitary wasps containing over 130 species. Females construct subterranean nests provisioned with paralyzed insects, primarily katydids and other orthopterans, as food for their larvae. The genus is notable for its stereotyped nesting behaviors that have been extensively studied in cognitive science and philosophy of mind, particularly the so-called 'Sphex Wasp Experiment' demonstrating rigid behavioral sequences.