Document type: news item from GIS FC3R
Author: GIS FC3R
Preview: In experimental research, insects are increasing used in fields as varied as genetics, infectiology and environmental studies. They are commonly used in "relative replacement" experimentation, being considered less sensitive than other species. Although not protected by EU Directive 2010/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes, recent advances in knowledge have raised ethical questions on whether we should we re-evaluate our practices regarding the use of insects Animal consciousness: we can generalize, but should remain cautiousWe use the term consciousness to refer to the process by which an animal experiences perceptions and emotions via the material substrate of its nervous system(Irwin et al. 2022). Since Darwin's theory of evolution, research into consciousness has extended to various animal species. The scientific study of consciousness has undergone a resurgence in the 21st century. In the animal phylogenetic tree, consciousness features independently in at least three different clades (vertebrates, arthropods and cephalopod mollusks) with very different neuronal architectures. According to Barron et al. 2016, insects could thus have subjective experiences analogous to those of vertebrates. According to INRAE's 2017 collective expertise on animal consciousness, we need to know whether the cognitive capacities at the origin of consciousness can result from evolutionary processes, and whether these capacities could be the product of evolutionary convergences in unrelated species faced with similar environmental constraints. In April 2024, 287 experts signed the New York Declaration, establishing an emerging consensus on the reality of consciousness in some vertebrates and invertebrates, including insects. This position underlines the imperative of giving a prominent place to the consideration of animal consciousness in our reflections and actions in favor of animal protection. [...]Pain in insectsProofof the existence of painininsects is still subject to debate. In order to understand the current state of evidence for pain in these invertebrates, an in-depth review of over 300 studies on six insect orders was carried out by Gibbons et al. in 2022. Eight criteria based on nociception, analgesia and behavior were used to assess pain. [...]Despite the lack of sufficient scientific data, the study by Gibbons et al. concludes that several insect orders are likely to feel pain. The strongest evidence comes from adult flies (Diptera) and cockroaches (Blattodea), which are well-studied species. Bees, wasps and ants (Hymenoptera) have also shown signs of pain, but with fewer criteria met. Importantly, no adult insects convincingly failed the criteria. However, there are gaps in the evidence, as pain-related neurobiology and behavior have not been sufficiently studied in most insects.
