Published: 02 July 2026.
Insects play an essential and diverse role in research. They are used to study ecology, behaviour, evolution, agriculture, animal health, human health and emerging food systems. Despite this, research involving insects currently falls outside the scope of UK animal welfare legislation.
Recently, however, many universities and research organisations have begun introducing their own internal ethics review processes for work involving insects.
This raises an important question: how widespread are these requirements, and what impact are they having on researchers and perceived research quality?
This was addressed in a paper published in Ecological Entomology, “Ethics review for insect research in the United Kingdom: Patterns, drivers and perceived impact on research quality and process”.
To answer this, the authors Dr Jess Stokes FRES, Prof. Bob Fischer and Dr Meghan Barrett surveyed UK institutions and entomologists and found that just over half (51.6%) of responding UK institutions already require some form of ethics review for research involving insects.
The earliest reported requirement was in 2008, with adoption increasing steadily over time, reflecting growing consideration of the use of insects in research.
Researchers who reported currently submitting applications generally felt confident navigating the process, with 68.8% describing themselves as confident.
However, many respondents also highlighted a need for additional support. Training tailored to insect research, clearer guidance, and more scientific evidence relating to insect welfare were commonly identified as priorities.
Importantly, ethics review was not widely viewed as a barrier to good science. Most respondents reported that ethics review either improved research quality (44.6%) or had no effect on research quality (39.6%). Researchers with fewer years of experience were particularly likely to report positive benefits, suggesting that ethics review may encourage reflection on experimental design, animal handling and research practices that is especially beneficial for early career researchers.
At the same time, responses revealed a wide diversity of views regarding the ethical treatment of insects. While many researchers supported greater consideration of insect welfare and ethics review, others raised concerns about administrative burden, potential restrictions on research, and the current evidence base surrounding insect welfare.
These findings highlight the need for ongoing dialogue and proportionate, evidence-based approaches.
As insect research continues to expand across biodiversity conservation, agriculture, biotechnology, human and animal health, and food production, understanding how researchers engage with ethics review will become increasingly important. This paper’s findings provide the first UK snapshot of current practice and highlight opportunities to support researchers and ethics panel members, and inform future discussions around insect welfare.
In response to many of the needs identified by researchers in this study, the Royal Entomological Society has begun developing practical resources to support both researchers and ethics review panels in collaboration with the Insect Welfare Research Society.
These include guidance materials, welfare resources, training opportunities and example templates available through the Society’s Insect Welfare and Best Practices Hub.
Policy Implications
- Develop resources and training for insect research ethics: Many researchers identified a need for guidance documents, training materials and practical support for ethics applications involving insects. resources that support both researchers and ethics review panels can help facilitate applications and improve confidence in the review process.
- Support further research on insect welfare: respondents highlighted a need for greater research on insect welfare and welfare assessment. Strengthening the evidence base would help researchers and ethics review panels make more informed decisions.
- Support ethics review panels and review capacity: respondents identified a need for greater insect-specific knowledge among ethics review panels. Providing access to appropriate expertise, guidance and training could help support more consistent evaluation of applications and reduce administrative burden.
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