Experiments
Insects possess an anatomical system that allows them to experience physical pain. This warns them, for example, to stay away from very hot or harmful substances. It is questionable, however, whether they interpret pain in the same way that humans do. For example, insects do not always avoid pain, while people usually do. “Suppose a grasshopper nibbling on a leaf gets caught by a predator that starts eating it from behind. In some cases, that grasshopper will just keep nibbling on that leaf,” Berx explains.
However, a study with crabs, which as arthropods are very similar to insects, shows otherwise. “There have been experiments where some crab shelters were put under tension. The crabs then learned to stay away from those places.”
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