Insect Welfare Research Society

What does the evidence actually tell us about insect sentience?

Join us on March 11 as @viveknityananda.bsky.social examines frameworks for investigating insect welfare, including key debates around insect emotions and pain.

bit.ly/4bFAITn

So excited to see this recommendation coming from the Animal Sentience Committee, really hoping it leads to some real change in decapod protection
www.gov.uk/government/p...

Uncovering Ethical Blind Spots and Operational Pathways in Sustainable Maggot-Based Waste Management Systems Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) bioconversion has been commercially established for over a decade as an efficient method for transforming organic waste int

This new review in J Agric & Environ Ethics argues that black soldier fly farming's ethical framework hasn't kept pace with its commercial scale. Read to learn about practical welfare concerns, from handling to environmental stressors, and gaps for future research:

Great opportunity for anyone interested in a PhD at the intersection of philosophy, animal welfare, public policy, and sentience research 🐛

Staff Entomologist — Insect Welfare Research Society Work with Us

The IWRS is hiring! Help us build the infrastructure for invertebrate welfare research—from husbandry databases to educational resources. 🐛📖

Remote Research Scientist position, $55-60K. We will begin reviewing applications on March 15.

Learn more and apply here:

This important review proposes 2-step euthanasia methods in invertebrates, examining procedures across taxa. Drawing on lessons from vertebrate welfare history, the authors also argue that current research gaps about pain should prompt precautionary standards, not justify lower ones: bit.ly/4sPoJIO

Don't miss our seminar tomorrow! Prof. Edward Waddell will discuss a key issue for farmed insect welfare: dietary preferences in adult black soldier flies.

A new paper by @marcinurbaniak.bsky.social provides a useful synthesis of neurological and behavioral evidence for pain perception in crabs, crayfish, and prawns.

Full paper available here:

Need funding for your arthropod welfare research? Check out this opportunity—only one week left to apply! 🦐🐜🐛

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Dietary preferences and impacts of feeding on behavior, longevity, and reproduction in adult black solider flies (Diptera: Stratiomyidae; Hermetia illucens). After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. Edward Waddell | Assistant Professor, Biology | Holy Family University The black soldier fly (BSF; Hermetia illucens; Diptera: Stratiomyidae) is a novel mini-livestock species now reared in the…

Join us Jan 20 as Prof. Edward Waddell explores dietary preferences in black soldier flies. His research shows adults live an average of 4-6 days longer and mate more frequently when given their preferred diet—revealing practical pathways to improve welfare for trillions farmed annually.

Register:

Stingless bees from the Amazon granted legal rights in world first Planet’s oldest bee species and primary pollinators were under threat from deforestation and competition from ‘killer bees’

Stingless bees from the Amazon granted legal rights in world first

Happy New Year! Our first newsletter of 2026 celebrates jumping spider cognition, UK legislation banning the live boiling of lobsters, and a new paper on research directions in insect welfare.

Want to know the latest in the field? Make sure to join our listserv!

www.insectwelfare.com/join

(PDF) Ethical Oversight for Insect ResearchNadzór etyczny nad badaniami nad owadamiЭтический надзор за исследованиями насекомых PDF | In this article, we present a high-level argument for ethical oversight for insect research. There is a realistic possibility that insects are... | Find, read and cite all the research you need…

In a new paper, @jeffsebo.bsky.social and Toni Sims argue that insect research needs ethical oversight. Their article covers moral reasoning behind their argument and initial steps forward—including developing policies and methods for assessing welfare risks.

Full paper here:

Go to https://complexly.store/ to support Complexly this holiday season! Despite having a brain the size of a pinhead, jumping spiders in the genus Portia can plan ahead, learn through trial and… The Genius Spiders Changing How We Think About Brains

This fascinating video from @scishow.bsky.social explores how jumping spiders in the genus Portia can plan ahead, learn through trial and error, and even lie!

Explore the latest on spider cognition here: youtu.be/lwPryksCmIo

Arthropoda Foundation - Call for Proposals The Arthropoda Foundation is currently accepting expressions of interest for its current call for proposals. Please fill out this form to apply. Any questions may be directed to grants@arthropodafound...

📅 Deadline reminder: Jan 15, 2026

Calling shrimp & aquaculture researchers! We're seeking proposals to address welfare challenges for Pacific white shrimps & giant tiger prawns in commercial aquaculture. 🦐

Just a few weeks left to apply!

Up to $10K–$50K available

Apply: bit.ly/3KVCwMR

Biological Recorder 3Rs Innovation Award — Insect Welfare Research Society "Amateur" entomologists, arachnologists, and others contribute significant knowledge through their biological recording and collections work, recording species occurrences, range shifts, and…

We've extended our Biological Recorder 3Rs Innovation Award deadline to February 28!

Amateur entomologists and invertebrate recorders with 2+ years experience can receive up to $2,000 to test and refine biological recording methods using 3Rs approaches. 🦋

Apply here: bit.ly/4pluUC8

Are animals and AI conscious? We’ve devised new theories for how to test this What matters for consciousness is not what you do, but how you do it.

How do we measure consciousness in insects? Colin Klein (Australian National University) and Andrew Barron (Macquarie University) propose a neural model that focuses on the core computations simple brains perform.

Learn more via @us.theconversation.com:

The case for insect sentience (2/2): Frequently asked questions, answered Q&A with expert Prof. Bob Fischer

Do you have burning questions about insect sentience and welfare?

Check out this Q&A with Prof. Bob Fischer, published by Rethink Priorities. He tackles questions like: Is consciousness all-or-nothing? Should we prioritize welfare research over sentience research?

Read more: bit.ly/48i6SSL

Categorisation of the One Welfare Practices in Beekeeping Honey bees are essential for agriculture and biodiversity. However, their welfare is often overlooked. This study explores how Honey Bee Welfare Practices (HBWPs) can be integrated into the One Welfare...

How do beekeeping practices affect bees, beekeepers, and the environment simultaneously?

Check out this interesting new study, exploring 295 Honey Bee Welfare Practices (HBWPs) through a One Welfare framework.

New work from Animal Ethics is drawing attention to the growing body of evidence on aquatic animal sentience. Seantience, a short documentary directed by Xiana Castro, brings together recent findings on the capacity to feel in both vertebrates and invertebrates.

Fascinating exploration of how to make evidence-based decisions about allocating time and resources to invertebrate welfare

@jeffsebo.bsky.social

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ICYMI: Dr. David Fisher (University of Aberdeen) presented his research on cockroach sentience in our latest IWRS seminar, including the first evidence of juvenile motivational trade-offs in insects. He also discussed implications for research practices and pest control.

Watch: bit.ly/3LJQYb4

Fascinating new evidence of individual face recognition in Phidippus regius.

The deadline is approaching for our Biological Recorder 3Rs Innovation Award!

Amateur entomologists and invertebrate recorders with 2+ years experience can apply for up to $2,000 to test and refine biological recording methods using 3Rs approaches. 🦋

Applications due by December 1: bit.ly/4pluUC8

You can pick up a pamphlet or info sheet from the @insectwrs.bsky.social at any of our in person events. They are a great org doing good things to raise awareness of insects place in our world and the respect, care, and consideration that they deserve. 🫡 🐛

Laboratory Research Specialist - HigherEdJobs Jobs in higher education. Faculty and administrative positions at colleges and universities. Updated daily. Free to job seekers.

Calling all insect researchers! 🐛

The Barrett Lab at Indiana University Indianapolis is hiring for a 2-year position, laboratory research specialist, in insect neuroscience and welfare. Interested applicants should apply as soon as possible; the position is open until filled:

bit.ly/43sv1TQ

The case for insect sentience (1/2): The evidence A review of current research insights with expert Prof. Bob Fischer

In October, Prof. Bob Fischer presented "What do we know about insect sentience?", reviewing the latest evidence on insect pain and welfare concerns in farming contexts.

Read the full summary from Rethink Priorities:

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Positive and negative affective states, motivational trade-offs, and consequences of tagging in a cockroach. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. David Fisher, Lecturer, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen Whether non-human animals are sentient is critical for determining how we act towards them. Key features of more complex…

Join us November 12, 4pm GMT as Dr. David Fisher (U of Aberdeen) shares new research on cockroach sentience, including the first-ever evidence of juvenile motivational trade-offs in insects. He will also explore implications for research & pest control.

Join us:

The best part about replacing your lawn with native #pollinating plants is you can start today and start small.

Attached are a few enamel #pins representing #pollinators that will thank you for it.

What native #plants have you put in your lawn?

#entomology #entofashion #enamelpins

Biological Recorder 3Rs Innovation Award — Insect Welfare Research Society "Amateur" entomologists, arachnologists, and others contribute significant knowledge through their biological recording and collections work, recording species occurrences, range shifts, and…

Know an amateur entomologist or invertebrate recorder? 🦋 We're offering up to $2,000 to help test and refine biological recording methods using 3Rs approaches. Need 2+ years experience. Deadline: Dec 1.

Learn more: