Insects “may all look alike to human eyes, but each… is unique” with its own distinct face and “personality” that consists of traits like boldness, forcefulness, determination, shyness and even the presence of an ego,[1] despite being an estimated quintillion in number. At the same time, insects are conscious sentient beings that can communicate, think, have subjective experiences, possess a memory, feel pain, display emotions including empathy and engage in both individualistic and group behavior, based on social influences with regard to the latter.
To expand on the last sentence, studies have shown that individual insects such as cockroaches can exhibit different behavior when left alone (e.g. continue to explore their surroundings when exposed to stimuli such as bright light) and act differently (e.g. seek shelter and hide) when in a group that arrives at such a consensus decision.
When it comes to pain and sensory functions, insects do in fact feel pain based on the fact they possess a nervous system and respond to stimuli such as “pressure, shock, [and] heat.” Likewise they can “see, hear, smell, taste, and feel” as well as detect additional stimuli “outside our sensory scope” (e.g. butterflies can see ultraviolet wavelengths and bees can detect the direction of light polarization, that is the geometric placement and movement of light waves).[2]
Regarding emotions, the subjective experience of feelings, insects are not exempt. Bees have been proven to display anger and pessimism as well as optimism, fruit flies – fear, and most interestingly, woodlice – empathy, in which “calm” woodlice were able to “calm” more excited woodlice after they had been exposed to an unpleasant stimulus. Per naturalist and biologist Charles Darwin (1809-1882), insects can even experience “jealousy and love.” [3] Likewise, if insects can feel anger, fear, pessimism, and optimism as well as jealousy and love, it is safe to say they can also experience happiness and joy too.
In addition, each insect also has a unique and distinct face that is indelibly and visually present in macro shots that enable us to see what otherwise would go unnoticed. Having said this, a face imputes value like nothing else since it is “the most distinctive cue to… [individual] identity and most important visual stimulus in our lives” – providing means of recognition, social interaction, interpersonal development, social standing.[4]
The success of insects rivals that of humans much in part because of their small size, flight capability for many species, adaptability, and “ability to store sperm for delayed fertilization.” They have been around for more than 400 million years compared to the 200,000-year existence of humans and like humans, inhabit every continent in the world including Antarctica. Insects are also the “most diverse group of species” and represent approximately 80% of all life on Earth.[5] Yet despite their success, insects that serve as “vital pollinators and recyclers of ecosystems”[6] are suffering a dramatic decline – the monarch butterfly population has fallen by about 90% over the last 20 years, followed by an 87% decline for honey bees over the same period in the United States. Similar declines are also occurring all across the world due to widespread pesticide use and the creation of genetically altered insect-resistant plants. Yet without insects entire ecosystems will collapse threatening a mass extinction event unrivaled in planetary history that could also include humans.
From a theological standpoint, one could argue insects, which often go unnoticed and unappreciated because of their small size and seeming simplicity along with the unborn, because of their total innocence and complete helplessness are powerful reminders of the sanctity of life and the fact each life is intrinsically priceless. Because of this, I include a brief section on Insect theology.
And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures… creatures that move along the ground (insects)… And it was so. God made… all the creatures that move along the ground… And… saw that it was good. [Genesis 1:24-25]
And [the] Lord revealed to the bees: Build your hives in mountains, trees and in what they (humans) build. Then eat from every fruit…” [Qu’ran “The Bee” 16:68-69]
“Go to the ant… Observe her ways and be wise>” [Proverbs 6:6]
“Even the prayers of an ant reach heaven.” [Shintoism]
“O Lord, [Y]ou are kind and compassionate; [Y]ou give [Y]our gifts to even… insects…” [Sikhism][7]
“Every living being has a right to exist… [for] [a]ll souls are alike… None is superior or inferior.” [Jainism: Mahavira (Vardhamana Mahavir) (599-527 BC)]
“All living beings long to live…” [Jainism: Mahavira]
Even the simplest insect strives for protection from dangers that threaten its life. [Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama (b. 1935)][8]
“…[W]hen they came upon the valley of the ants, an ant said, ‘O ants, enter your dwellings that you not be crushed by Solomon and his soldiers while they perceive not.’” [Qu’ran – “The Ant” 27:18)
In conclusion, because insects are conscious, sentient beings with personalities that experience pain and emotions, are capable of empathy and communication, have the same if not more sensory capabilities than humans, possess a distinct and unique face and are indescribably vital to the planet as well as our own existence, their lives matter too. Therefore when taking into account the exceptions to be made to combat disease and famine, the Jain concept of Ahimsa that promotes universal love and compassion through non-violence provides an example on how we should treat insects and life in general – “Have compassion towards all living beings… Do not injure, abuse, oppress, enslave, insult, torment, torture, or kill any creature or living being.” As our anatomy and intellect enable us to do the greatest good or greatest harm, we owe it to the world, our environment, every living creature and to ourselves to be good stewards to all and to do the least harm possible especially since to use the words of Mahavira, the 24th and last Jain tirthankara (spiritual teacher) – “Non-violence and kindness to living beings is kindness to oneself.”[9]
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[1] Even Bugs Have Personality: Discovery News. DNews. 11 February 2013. www.seeker.com/even-bugs-have-personality-discovery-news-1766484111.html
[2] Do Bugs Feel Pain? OUPblog. 25 November 2011. blog.oup.com/2011/11/bug-pain
[3] Carla Clark, PhD. Do Insects Have Emotions and Empathy? Brain Blogger. 26 June 2015. www.brainblogger.com/2015/06/26/do-insects-have-emotions-and-empathy
[4] Kirsten A. Dalrymple, et al. “A room full of strangers every day”: The psychosocial impact of developmental prosopagnosia on children and their families. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. Vol. 77 Issue 2. 14 June 2014. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4211255
[5] BugInfo: Numbers of Insects (Species and Individuals). Smithsonian. 31 August 2019. www.si.edu/spotlight/buginfo/bugnos
[6] Brooke Jarvis. The Insect Apocalypse Is Here: What does it mean for the rest of life on Earth. The New York Times Magazine. 27 November 2018. www.nytimes.com/2018/11/27/magazine/insect-apocalypse.html
[7] Ron Cherry and Hardev Sandhu. Insects in the Religions of India. American Entymologist. Winter 2013. 202. www.researchgate.net/publication/262855310_Insects_in_the_Religions_of_India
[8] Tenzin Gyatso. A Human Approach to World Peace. 1 September 2019. www.dalailama.com/messages/world-peace/a-human-approach-to-world-peace
[9] Pravin K. Shah. Jain Fundamentals. Jain Rituals. Jain Scriptures. Jain Compassion. Jain Quotes. Jain Study Center of North Carolina. Cary, NC. 87, 30. sites.fas.harvard.edu/~pluralsm/affiliates/jainism/workshop/Pathashal%20Workshop98.PDF
Additional Sources:
Jim Algar. The Timid Cockroach: Researchers Find The Insects Have Personalities. Tech Times. 15 March 2015. www.techtimes.com/articles/38804/20150310/the-timid-cockroach-researchers-find-the-insects-have-personalities.htm
Andrew Griffin. Insects are conscious, claims major paper that could show us how our own thoughts began. Independent. 26 April 2016. www.independent.co.uk/news/science/insects-are-conscious-claims-major-paper-that-could-show-us-how-our-own-thoughts-began-a7002151.html
Masjid Tucson. Insects: Creatures of God. 31 August 2019. www.masjidtucson.org/God/animals/insects.html
Who destroys nature, destroys his/her livelihood. That's a sign of pathological self-love. Many people still do not seem to be aware of this.
Many thanks for this knowledgeable and sensitive article, William!
William Sutherland club has replied to * ઇઉ * clubAnd yes, you're right plants also have precious lives. As science advances, it has become cleasr plants can detect pain and respond to stimuli and also communicate with each other (e.g. plants under attack by herbivore insects often secret chemical compounds so others can respond to produce additional chemicals that may make them unappealing to such attacks).
One day, hopefully the human race will step down from the pedestal they placed themselves on and renounce such pathological narcissistic self-love.
..let one take off at you in the middle of the night .. it is a darn B-52 ~
William Sutherland club has replied to Peggy C clubPeggy C club has replied to William Sutherland clubHave you met a Florida cockroach or a Palmetto bug [ really same thing but we don't want to scare off the visitors ]..
You are correct -- that won't be overcome.
Probably this will horrify you, but when we lived in FL, I wore Roach stompers - aka pointed toe boots..
Thankfully, we left them [ the roaches ] in FL.... unless one is reading this and shows up here !
Peggy
William Sutherland club has replied to Peggy C clubAs I mentioned in a previous post, I like to focus on the similarities of different religions. There is a lot we can learn from brothers and sisters of different faiths and tolerance and respect for each others' faiths is the only way humanity can hopefully find a way to live in peace.
As I also mentioned in this same previous post, "all of our lives began the same way -- we were created by the same Creator out of love. Likewise, our lives will end with the same outcome -- eternal life due to the expression of the greatest love shown by the universal savior Jesus. It is in between we have different paths to take as we make our individual spiritual journey sustained by God's love. As a part of this journey, God in His infinite and perfect wisdom chose our respective faiths..."
The recent document -- "Document on Human Fraternity for world peace and living together" signed by Pope Francis representing 1.2 billion Catholics and Ahmed el-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar on 4 February 2019 representing 1.5 billion Sunni Muslims attests to this concept: "The pluralism and diversity of religions... are willed by God in His wisdom, through which He created human beings." Accordingly the document which serves as a major bridge towards East-West and Christian-Muslim understandings also states, "the fact that people are forced to adhere to a certain religion or culture must be rejected" while stating what should be obvious to all persons of faith -- "The protection of places of worship - synagogues, churches and mosques (etc.) - is a duty..."
Thus, "when when we focus on differences and sow seeds of discord, we are in fact questioning God's infinite and perfect wisdom." In fact, considering how emboldened atheists would like nothing better than to extinguish any and all faith in God, it is more important than ever for peoples of faith (Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, etc.) to stand united, respect each others' beliefs, work together to spread God's love through compassion and tolerance so each and every person can realize their fullest potential and live a dignified life so the world can see there is a peaceful, loving, uplifting and hopeful alternative to the empty theology atheists choose to live by which is their right if they so choose.
Last, I also stated, "...Jesus is the universal savior, his cross and resurrection brings universal salvation to all, past, present and future without exception. No sin is too great or karma so strong that his blood cannot cleanse or liberate us from, respectively. Thus like Jesus gave saving power to Christianity, he also gave the very same saving power to every other religion. This is precisely why Jesus said, "'I have other sheep that are not of this fold (Christians). I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.'" [John 10:16]
So yes, I do agree all the while respecting the beliefs of others whatever their religion may be and therefore will quote scripture of various religions as it relates to various topics to reinforce uniting factors inspired by the same One God of love and to promote religious tolerance and understanding.
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