Don’t reach for the bug spray: crickets stroke a sore antenna, as cues suggest insects feel pain (opens in new tab)

The behavioural cue of ‘flexible self-protection’ is a way to establish whether an animal feels pain, scientists saySign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter hereGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastDo insects feel pain? Crickets certainly seem to, according to new research which finds they stroke and groom a sore antenna in much the same way as a dog nurses its hurt paw.Associate Prof Thomas White, an entomologist from the Univer...