Data for the manuscript from Transitive inference in <i>Polistes</i> paper wasps.
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Transitive inference (TI) is a form of logical reasoning that involves using known relationships to infer unknown relationships (A > B; B > C; then A > C). TI has been found in a wide range of vertebrates but not in insects. Here, we test whether <i>Polistes dominula</i> and <i>Polistes metricus</i> paper wasps can solve a TI problem. Wasps were trained to discriminate between five elements in series (A<sub>0</sub>B-, B<sub>0</sub>C-, C<sub>0</sub>D-, D<sub>0</sub>E-), then tested on novel, untrained pairs (B versus D). Consistent with TI, wasps chose B more frequently than D. Wasps organized the trained stimuli into an implicit hierarchy and used TI to choose between untrained pairs. Species that form social hierarchies like <i>Polistes</i> may be predisposed to spontaneously organize information along a common underlying dimension. This work contributes to a growing body of evidence that the miniature nervous system of insects does not limit sophisticated behaviours.
