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Insect euthanasia


Insect euthanasia is the process of killing insects "in a way that minimizes or eliminates pain and distress." It may apply to animals in the laboratory, schools, as pets, as food, or otherwise.

Euthanasia of insects and other invertebrates has historically received limited attention. While vertebrate animal experimentation typically requires approval by an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee in the United States, use of invertebrate animals has few guidelines, and many research papers make no mention of how their invertebrate subjects were killed.

Many of the euthanasia methods developed for vertebrates do not transfer well to invertebrates. While a number of euthanasia methods have been proposed for various invertebrate taxa, many have not been adequately vetted, and more research is needed.

Scientists debate the existence and extent of pain in invertebrates, including insects.

Vincent Wigglesworth suggests giving insects the benefit of the doubt, in case they can suffer. Cornelia Gunkel and Gregory A. Lewbart suggest that "Until the question of pain in invertebrates is clearly answered, an analgesic should be given to any animal that is subjected to a painful procedure."Jeffrey A. Lockwood agrees:

If we use anesthetic and it turns out that insects don’t experience pain, the material cost of our mistake is very low [...]. However, if we don’t use anesthetic and it turns out that the insects were in agony, then the moral cost of our mistake is quite high.

AVMA guidelines echo this perspective:

While there is ongoing debate about invertebrates’ abilities to perceive pain or otherwise experience compromised welfare, the Guidelines assume that a conservative and humane approach to the care of any creature is warranted and expected by society. Consequently, euthanasia methods should be used that minimize the potential for pain or distress.

Pentobarbital is an anesthetic drug used in medicine, human euthanasia, and capital punishment. AVMA recommends overdose of pentobarbital or similar drugs as a method of invertebrate euthanasia. The dose can be chosen at comparable levels as those given to poikilotherm vertebrates, adjusted proportionally to the animal's weight. Injection into hemolymph is ideal, but for invertebrates that have an open circulatory system, the drug may have to be injected into the abdomen rather than blood vessels. It may help to premedicate the animal with another injected or inhaled drug.


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