In a June @currentbiology.bsky.social study, three octopuses learned to locate a virtual crab visible only as a mirror reflection, choosing the correct side in 73% of trials. The authors report this as the first evidence of mirror-mediated localization of hidden objects in an invertebrate.

Octopus bimaculoides can learn to utilize a mirror to localize a reward outside the line of sight

Kieseler et al. show that three Octopus bimaculoides learned to move to a reward site using a mirror. Octopuses climbing the start-chamber wall indicates integration of spatial mapping of mirror cues ...

cell.com

@fairerfields.bsky.social is hiring a Research Fellow (1 year) to explore interventions in pollination and honey production that could improve managed honey bee welfare, with a path to a permanent role leading the work. 🐝 📍 Remote, US (DC preferred) 💰 $79K–$92K fairerfields.org/careers/2026...

Research Fellow — Managed Honey Bees – Fairer Fields

Fairer Fields is a new organization that works to make agriculture more humane for all by accelerating better agricultural practices for animals, people, and the world. We are currently:…

fairerfields.org

Deadline this Saturday (Aug 15)! If you're doing work relevant to invertebrate welfare indicators, submit an abstract. 👇

Insect Welfare Research Society@insectwrs.bsky.social · 3mo ago

We're launching a one-day workshop at Newcastle University on an important topic at the frontier of animal welfare science: "Validating Welfare Indicators in Invertebrates." Co-hosted with @newcastleuni.bsky.social and @arthropodafound.bsky.social Abstracts will be accepted through August 15:

How should entomologists put the 3Rs—replacement, reduction, and refinement—into practice? @royentsoc.bsky.social's Insect Welfare and Best Practice video series, presented by @jess-stokes.bsky.social, is a guide for researchers and ethics reviewers. Watch: insectwelfare.com/videos

3Rs Best Practice Videos — Insect Welfare Research Society

The Royal Entomological Society’s Insect Welfare and Best Practice video series covers the rise of insect ethics review in the UK, the scientific, institutional, and ethical considerations behind it,…

insectwelfare.com

In case you missed our June seminar with Jesi Gibbs on nociceptive integration in snapping shrimp, the recording is now available on our YouTube channel! youtu.be/6HQto4r6ew0

Insect Welfare Research Society@insectwrs.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Our next research seminar explores behavioral and neurochemical evidence of nociceptive integration in a snapping shrimp (Alpheus angulosus), supporting the hypothesis that a shrimp species may experience pain. Join us June 23 with Jesi Gibbs (M.S. in Marine Biology, College of Charleston).

Only one month left to submit an EOI to our current call for proposals! We’re excited to fund your insect welfare projects! 🐛🐜🐝

Arthropoda Foundation@arthropodafound.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Calling all insect researchers! 🪲 Our 2026 RFP is open. We're funding empirical work on farmed insect welfare—humane slaughter, stocking density, welfare indicators, husbandry SOPs, and more. Grants up to $10K ($50K for exceptional cases). EOIs due Aug 15 → arthropoda.org/call-for-proposals

We're launching a one-day workshop at Newcastle University on an important topic at the frontier of animal welfare science: "Validating Welfare Indicators in Invertebrates." Co-hosted with @newcastleuni.bsky.social and @arthropodafound.bsky.social Abstracts will be accepted through August 15:

Workshop on Validating Welfare Indicators in Invertebrates

Please send your abstract by August 15

arthropoda.org

Our next research seminar explores behavioral and neurochemical evidence of nociceptive integration in a snapping shrimp (Alpheus angulosus), supporting the hypothesis that a shrimp species may experience pain. Join us June 23 with Jesi Gibbs (M.S. in Marine Biology, College of Charleston).

Beyond reflex: Behavioral and neurochemical evidence of nociceptive integration in shrimp

Featuring Jesi Gibbs, M.S. in Marine Biology, College of Charleston

insectwelfare.us9.list-manage.com

New in @jexpbiol.bsky.social: bumblebees quickly learn to avoid flower colors paired with electric shock or salty water. But the memories don't fade equally—bees hold onto the shock association longer. This suggests they may treat a potentially harmful cue differently from a merely unpleasant one.

Aversive memory and extinction learning for noxious stimuli and aversive tastants in bumblebees

Summary: Bumblebees rapidly learn to avoid aversive stimuli and remain flexible when an unpleasant taste is used as reinforcer, but a nociceptive stimulus reinforces avoidance behaviour such that beha...

doi.org

Are you a researcher or industry expert with a deep interest in shrimp aquaculture? The Arthropoda Foundation is hiring a Program Officer to scope and commission research that improves conditions for farmed shrimps! Remote, $75,000/year. Learn more and apply: www.arthropoda.org/work-with-us

Arthropoda Foundation - Work with Us

The Arthropoda Foundation is currently hiring a Program Officer. Learn more below.

arthropoda.org

Calling all insect researchers! 🪲 Our 2026 RFP is open. We're funding empirical work on farmed insect welfare—humane slaughter, stocking density, welfare indicators, husbandry SOPs, and more. Grants up to $10K ($50K for exceptional cases). EOIs due Aug 15 → arthropoda.org/call-for-proposals

"Pain and Suffering in Farmed Animals" provides an accessible introduction welfare issues across a wide range of farmed species—including invertebrates like cephalopods, crustaceans, and insects. It also points to next steps for research and better management. Read it here: bit.ly/40ZJ2qh

The IWRS is hiring! Help us build the infrastructure for invertebrate welfare research—from husbandry databases to educational resources. 🐛📖 Remote Research Scientist position, $55-60K. We will begin reviewing applications on March 15. Learn more and apply here:

Staff Entomologist — Insect Welfare Research Society

Work with Us

insectwelfare.com

Only one week left to submit an EOI to our current call for proposals! We’re excited to fund your projects on #shrimp and #arthropod welfare! 🪲🐜🪳🦐🦗🦂🐝

Arthropoda Foundation@arthropodafound.bsky.social · 12mo ago

Calling all shrimp and aquaculture researchers! 🦐 We're funding research on Pacific white shrimp & giant tiger prawn welfare in commercial settings—work that could impact billions of animals. Up to $10K ($50K for exceptional projects). EOIs due Jan 15, 2026. Apply: bit.ly/3KVCwMR

📅 Deadline reminder: Jan 15, 2026 Calling shrimp & aquaculture researchers! We're seeking proposals to address welfare challenges for Pacific white shrimps & giant tiger prawns in commercial aquaculture. 🦐 Just a few weeks left to apply! Up to $10K–$50K available Apply: bit.ly/3KVCwMR

Arthropoda Foundation - Call for Proposals

The Arthropoda Foundation is currently accepting expressions of interest for its current call for proposals. Please fill out this form to apply. Any questions may be directed to grants@arthropodafound...

bit.ly

Insects aren’t ‘little robots’—so scientists are rethinking their welfare: Science chats with an entomologist and an expert in animal ethics who are monitoring how researchers report on the ethical treatment of insects. | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

Insects aren’t ‘little robots’—so scientists are rethinking their welfare

Science chats with an entomologist and an expert in animal ethics who are monitoring how researchers report on the ethical treatment of insects

science.org

Know an amateur entomologist or invertebrate recorder? 🦋 We're offering up to $2,000 to help test and refine biological recording methods using 3Rs approaches. Need 2+ years experience. Deadline: Dec 1. Learn more:

Biological Recorder 3Rs Innovation Award — Insect Welfare Research Society

"Amateur" entomologists, arachnologists, and others contribute significant knowledge through their biological recording and collections work, recording species occurrences, range shifts, and…

insectwelfare.com

Calling all shrimp and aquaculture researchers! 🦐 We're funding research on Pacific white shrimp & giant tiger prawn welfare in commercial settings—work that could impact billions of animals. Up to $10K ($50K for exceptional projects). EOIs due Jan 15, 2026. Apply: bit.ly/3KVCwMR

Arthropoda Foundation - Call for Proposals

The Arthropoda Foundation is currently accepting expressions of interest for its current call for proposals. Please fill out this form to apply. Any questions may be directed to grants@arthropodafound...

bit.ly

Join us Sept 24, 5 PM BST for our seminar with Prof. Kristoffer Whitney (Rochester Institute of Technology): "Blood Money: The history of horseshoe crabs in science and medicine" He will explore historical, political, and ethical issues related to marine invertebrate welfare: bit.ly/3K2acYC

Fantastic talk by @birchlse.bsky.social on ethical review for insect research as part of @royentsoc.bsky.social #Ento25 insect ethics workshop @insectwrs.bsky.social

Thanks to those who joined our webinar featuring Dr. Matilda Gibbons (University of Pennsylvania): "How Can We Measure Sentience in an Insect?" In case you missed it, the video is available on our YouTube channel: youtu.be/HajWZuMto0A

How Can We Measure Sentience in an Insect?

YouTube video by Insect Welfare Research Society

youtu.be

Check out @royentsoc.bsky.social's Welfare & Ethics forum, one of their 20+ Special Interest Groups! 🐛

Royal Entomological Society@royentsoc.bsky.social · last yr.

The Royal Entomological Society has over 20 Special Interest Groups pulling together a community with a shared interest in advancing areas of knowledge within unique fields of #InsectScience. Read more about our SIGs 🔽 buff.ly/Cvd6j18 📸 (c) Pepe Badia Marrero, 2024 Photography Competition

Fascinating paper by @wolfhuette.bsky.social and colleagues from a few months back. www.cell.com/current-biol...

Play-like behavior exhibited by the vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster

Triphan et al. show flies seeking the sensation of repeated, play-like carousel visits, even if two carousels provide spatially and temporally dissociated spinning. They propose how this voluntary pas...

cell.com

only 7 days left to submit an EOI to our first call for proposals 😱 If you work on #arthropods 🪲🐜🪳🦐🦗🦂🐝 of any kind and want to study their welfare scientifically, we have 💰for you!

Arthropoda Foundation@arthropodafound.bsky.social · 2y ago

Our first RFP is open! www.arthropodafoundation.org/call-for-pro... Expressions of interest are due by June 15th. Applications in any area of insect welfare are welcome, but see our website for more information on our priorities. Questions welcome -- feel free to email or comment here.

Only 20 days left until Expression of Interest submissions closes! We can't wait to see your proposals!

Arthropoda Foundation@arthropodafound.bsky.social · 2y ago

Our first RFP is open! www.arthropodafoundation.org/call-for-pro... Expressions of interest are due by June 15th. Applications in any area of insect welfare are welcome, but see our website for more information on our priorities. Questions welcome -- feel free to email or comment here.

New on Entomology Today: Many butterfly species often congregate in puddles, rotting organic matter, or other moist surfaces. A new review on "puddling" in butterflies details current knowledge on this nutrient-gathering behavior but also shows how much remains unknown about why they gather.

To Puddle or Not To Puddle: Review Highlights Unanswered Questions About Butterfly Behavior

A new review on "puddling" in butterflies details current knowledge on this nutrient-gathering behavior and how much remains unknown about why they gather.

entomologytoday.org

Happening today!

Jeff Sebo@jeffsebo.bsky.social · 2y ago

The NYU Wild Animal Welfare Program is thrilled to be hosting an online talk with Meghan Barrett called "Wild Insect Welfare: Mitigating Harms to the Very, Very Many." The talk will be Wed April 30 at 12:30pm. RSVP below. Please share!

Wild bees* are great! If you're interested in studying their welfare scientifically, check out our CFP! www.arthropodafoundation.org/call-for-pro... *honeybee welfare projects would also be eligible for funding, although not a priority this funding round.

Saimi Hanma ⚔️ サイミ@saimihanma.northsky.social · last yr.

I'm painfully tired of honey bees still getting the most attention when they're not native to North America. They're basically livestock and outcompete our native bees. We do NOT need more urban hives. So please, let's some some of our glorious wild bees for a change! #Invertebrates

Here's another example of a topic that might be interesting to study from a welfare angle: how can we manage insect populations in a friendlier way?

Climate, Ecology, War & More: Dr. Glen Barry BigEarthData.ai@bigearthdata.ai · 2y ago

Officials discover highly invasive 'spongy moth' wreaking havoc on trees: 'I knew right then that we were doomed' ->The Cool Down | #Tree #Forest | More info from EcoSearch

As funding and workforce disruption harms U.S. science, the ESA Member Support Fund will pay affected entomologists' membership dues, allowing beneficiaries to maintain access to ESA member benefits and stay connected to the insect science community. buff.ly/mSnq5tP