Give Wasps Colored Paper And They'll Build Beautiful Rainbow Nests

If you want to teach a child about the value of dedicated team work and community, show them a wasp's nest. These beautiful creations are the epitome of what's possible when different roles work together toward a common goal. 

One biological sciences student, Mattia Menchetti, wanted to see what would happen if he offered colored paper to his captive wasps. The results are beautiful. Let's take a look. 

This is a typical paper wasp nest. 

Paper wasps make their nests from wood pulp that they chew into a paste. Think of it like very intricate papier-mâché work. 

Now, take a look what happens when paper wasps are fed yellow and orange colored paper. 

Cool, isn't? 

Let's see what happens when more colors are introduced into their diet. 

Here's the nest with blue added in. 

After the blue, Menchetti wanted to see what some green would do. 

The nest is really starting to come together now. Time for the final color. 

The purple paper completes the project, giving the nest a rainbow-like effect. 

What color would you like to see in the wasp nest? Let us know in the comments on Facebook!

h/t Notula Zoologica