The Sensitive Life of Bugs: An Ethical Look into How Insects Perceive Pain and Emotions

 On my first Integration Day, I got to talk with a girl who participated in research on whether insects can feel pain. I personally found this absolutely fascinating and wanted to know more. She explained to me how her results concluded that there was evidence that specific insects may experience emotions and responses to pain. This reminded me of an Instagram post I saw earlier this year based on an article about how bumblebees were found to enjoy simple pleasures like playing with wooden balls. 

 When we think of sentient beings, insects are rarely the first creatures that come to mind. These tiny, often bothersome beings are swatted, squished, or sprayed without a second thought. But what if the ants on your picnic table or the fly on your windowpane experience more than just reflexive twitching? What if insects have feelings—or at least a rudimentary form of them?

Recent research in entomology and neurobiology is beginning to unravel the complex lives of insects, pushing us to reconsider our ethical stance toward them. This has raised an emerging question: Do insects feel pain and emotions, and if so, what are our responsibilities?

For decades, the prevailing scientific view was that insects do not feel pain the way mammals do. Their nervous systems are simpler, and they lack the centralized brain structures like a neocortex, which in humans is associated with consciousness and emotional experience.

However, newer studies challenge this view. Research shows that insects demonstrate behaviors that suggest more than just automatic reactions. For instance, injured fruit flies groom their wounds, bees avoid harmful stimuli they’ve previously encountered, and some insects even exhibit "learned helplessness," a condition linked to emotional distress.

Neuroscientist Dr. Matilda Gibbons of Oxford University explains:

"While we cannot say insects feel pain in the human sense, there is growing evidence that they experience something analogous—a negative internal state that influences their behavior over time."

The word emotion might feel too heavy for a creature with a brain smaller than a grain of rice. Yet, bees have been shown to display signs of optimism after receiving a sugary treat, a behavior typically associated with positive emotional states. Similarly, ants communicate complex information, such as danger or food location, which hints at a form of social awareness.

These behaviors suggest a spectrum of emotional responses, perhaps rudimentary but still meaningful. If insects can feel distress, make choices to avoid suffering, or show signs of enthusiasm, it raises ethical implications about how we treat them in agriculture, science, and everyday life.

Most animal welfare policies today exclude invertebrates, assuming their experience is too limited to warrant concern. However, as our understanding grows, so does the ethical gray area.

Do we need to change how we approach pest control? Should insect farming, used increasingly for sustainable protein, be regulated with welfare standards? Even simple acts, like trapping a spider under a cup or using ant bait, gain new moral dimensions when we consider the possibility of pain or fear.

Dr. Jonathan Balcombe, author of What a Fish Knows, argues for a broader moral circle:

"If a creature is sentient enough to suffer, even in a primitive way, it deserves our consideration."

It’s not about equating a mosquito with a dog or human. It's about acknowledging complexity where we previously saw simplicity. Ethical consideration doesn't require us to stop all interactions with insects—it means being mindful of unnecessary harm and striving for more humane practices where feasible.

Small changes—like choosing non-lethal pest repellents, supporting research into humane insect farming, or simply pausing before squashing—can collectively shift how society values even the smallest lives.

After all, insects are proven not to be just mindless automatons; rather, they are intricate creatures that may experience the world in ways we are only beginning to understand. Therefore, as science continues to illuminate its capabilities, we are challenged to evolve our ethical frameworks.

Because in the end, compassion isn't about size. It's about awareness—and the courage to act on it.

References:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/animal-emotions/202303/insect-sentience-science-pain-ethics-and-welfare

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/do-insects-feel-joy-and-pain/