Can insects scream or be afraid?

We know that some insect bites are fatal and others, if not kill, can cause incredible pain. About the bites, Mega Curioso has already brought some materials, among them, the one that presents the most painful. But what about insects, do they feel some kind of fear or pain? Can they scream and warn their mates when we attack or kill them?

We often come across mosquitoes, flies, spiders, cockroaches, and any other small insects, we don't hold back and try to kill. We are almost always bound to exterminate these animals so that they do not hinder the smooth running of our lives, usually during lunch, a night of sleep, a time of relaxation in the countryside, or any situation in which they may appear. Seeking to see if insects feel or react at all before they die, Hopes & Fears asked some entomologists if the insects really 'scream' at such times.

Dr. Don Miller, professor of the Department of Biological Sciences at California State University, recalls that mammals can even be considered emotional in a broader sense, but that they and insects are part of a different class, so they have characteristics different. “Other mammals perceive the environment the way we do, which is the main basis for the defense of animal rights (...), but neither plants nor insects nor invertebrates nor mollusks perceive the world of it. way we do. We have no irrefutable proof, but we can safely say that they are not frightened and have no perceptions of horror, ”he said.

Dr. Rick Redak, professor and chairman of the University of California Department of Entomology at Riverside, points out another point that may show that insects don't scream. According to Redak, they have no vocal chords and voice, however, they are capable of producing sounds at a range of different frequencies by rubbing different parts of the body. “Most insects use these sounds for a different reason, such as mate recognition for mating or warding off predators. Maybe the last sound created to ward off predators sounds like a scream, ”added Rick Redak.

Drs. Nathaniel Hardy and David Held, assistant professors in the department of entomology at Aubum University, disagree with Redak and Miller. Hardy says it's a defense mechanism for most insects to make noises that scare other animals. Held agrees with Hardy and states that the "screams" need not necessarily be oral. "They certainly scream, " Nathaniel Hardy concludes about the insects.

Other examples to which they refer are the noises made by, for example, beetles, which let out creaking when in difficult situations, or by the cicadas, which make a sound, which many people consider to be a song and which is one of the loudest sounds. between invertebrates.

There seems to be no consensus on the insects' sensations and whether they really are able to "scream" or feel fear in certain situations. But what about you, do you believe insects are able to feel and perceive the world as we do?