Authors
L Chittka, M Gibbons, A Kowalewka, E Pasquini, S Gibson, E Read, A Crump, E Versace, C Solvi
Publication date
2024/7/2
Journal
iScience
Publisher
Cell Press
Description
It has been widely stated that insects do not show self-protective behavior towards noxiously-stimulated body parts, but this claim has never been empirically tested. Here, we tested whether an insect species displays a type of self-protective behavior: self-grooming a noxiously-stimulated site. We touched bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) on the antenna with a noxiously-heated (65°C) probe and found that, in the first two minutes after this stimulus, bees groomed their touched antenna more than their untouched antenna and more than bees that were touched with an unheated probe or not touched at all. Our results present evidence that bumblebees display self-protective behavior. We discuss the potential neural mechanisms of this behavior and the implications for the topic of insect pain.
Scholar articles
L Chittka, M Gibbons, A Kowalewka, E Pasquini… - iScience, 2024