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Reposted by Catherine Macri

Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

We review evidence for basic forms of emotion in invertebrates, especially insects, through three complementary approaches: behaviour 😨, cognition 💭, and neurophysiology 🧠. (illustration by Fosca Mastrandrea)

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Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

We also adopt a precautionary stance: no single marker can, on its own, be taken as evidence of an emotional state. Their significance emerges only when considered within a functional, multi-component framework, where they may contribute to identifying affective indicators. 🤝 Thanks for reading!

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Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Importantly, we argue for actively searching for the building blocks underlying these responses: persistence, scalability, global coordination, generalization, automaticity, valence, and social communication.

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Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

We then turn to physiology and neurobiology. Potential physiological signatures include changes in respiration or body temperature 🌡️, while biogenic amines and other neuromodulators may contribute to the expression and regulation of emotional responses 🧠🧪.

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Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Half-empty or half-full glass? We describe the cognitive approach, centred on the Judgement Bias Task (JBT). 🐝Honey bees, flies and bumble bees have all passed this task, although disentangling learning effects from emotional interpretations remains challenging. (image from Procenko et al., 2024)

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Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Emotional expression may also take the form of vocalizations: vibrational or acoustic signals can encode internal states 🔊. (image from Dong et al., 2023) Facial expressions are another possibility, although rigid cuticles limit insects’ expressive ability.

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Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Behavioural indicators of negative states include defensive responses reminiscent of fear, danger anticipation akin to anxiety, and learned helplessness. Positive states are less studied, with some exceptions, such as play⚽. (This is of course quick overview, read the review for more details!)

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Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

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Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

We discuss the challenges of defining emotions and argue for a multi-component approach. A comparative framework emerges: rather than asking whether a species “has” emotions, we can look for functionally analogous “building blocks” of emotional expression across distant species. 🐝🐁🪰

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Reposted by Catherine Macri

David Baracchi @davidbaracchi.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

I'm pleased to share our new review, published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, with L.Baciadonna, C.Macri & M.Giurfa. We discuss evidence for emotions in insects and their possible deep evolutionary roots, while stressing the need for rigor and caution doi.org/10.1098/rstb...

doi.org

Exploring emotional expression in invertebrates: mechanisms, functions and phylogeny

Abstract. The idea that invertebrates may exhibit basic forms of emotion, and possibly sentience, is gaining traction as evidence of their advanced cogniti

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Reposted by Catherine Macri

Animal Behaviour Live @animalbehaviour.live · 29/09/2026

🐦‍⬛🗣️ It's today! Discover what ravens can teach us about social cognition, social learning, and the evolution of intelligence in animals. An online seminar by Dr. Thomas Bugnyar 📅 Today, 2:00 PM GMT 📺 Link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQoB... #AnimalBehaviour #Ravens #SocialCognition #OnlineSeminar

youtube.com

Seminar Series 2026: 3. Dr. Thomas Bugnyar

YouTube video by Animal Behaviour Live

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Reposted by Catherine Macri

Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

🇧🇷 3/ Leonardo Campana is going back to Brazil to finish his PhD, after a 1-year internship in the team. He fell in love with Paris and knows the Louvre better than any of us. 🥖🥐🇫🇷 We will miss him greatly! @martingiurfa.bsky.social @udiptachakraborti.bsky.social

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Reposted by Catherine Macri

Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

🪰 2/ celebrating Michel Gho's retirement (although he will keep coming as a volunteer, we're not letting him go that easily!). A drosophilist who fully embraced the bee fever and became a part of the ICON team 🐝

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Reposted by Catherine Macri

Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Some news from the ICON team: 📃 1/ Celebrating two new papers ! 🎉 One from Maria Eugenia Villar et al. and one from Rafael Carvalho da Silva et al. Both in Communications biology. (The tradition is to write it on the ceiling, where the cork touched it!) @mischocarvalhus.bsky.social

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Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

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Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

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Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

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Reposted by Catherine Macri

ASAB @asab.org · 25/06/2026

Wishing all of our members a happy Pride month!🌈 We here at ASAB strongly value diversity🫶 Speaking of which, did you know that ASAB has a ✨new✨ EDIA award? We seek to recognise an individual or group that has actively promoted inclusivity, equity, and diversity in the field! Nominations due Oct 1.

asab.org

EDIA Award — ASAB

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Reposted by Catherine Macri

ASAB @asab.org · 15/09/2026

Don't forget that grant applications (attendance, accessibility, childcare) for the joint #ASABWinter2026 meeting with PSGB 🐒 @asabpsgb2026.bsky.social are due in 2 weeks (⏰ October 1!) 🏃💰🏃💰🏃💰🏃💰🏃💰🏃💰🏃💰🏃💰🏃💰🏃💰🏃💰🏃💰🏃💰 More info: www.asab.org/conference-g...

asab.org

Conference Attendance Grants — ASAB

Conference Attendance Grants help PhD students and others with limited funds to attend ASAB conferences and workshops

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Reposted by Catherine Macri

Animal Behaviour Live @animalbehaviour.live · 15/09/2026

📣 SEMINAR SERIES 2026 📣 📆 Tuesday 29 September 2026 at 2:00 PM GMT on our YouTube channel: Dr. Thomas Bugnyar (University of Vienna, Austria) will present “Testing social cognition in birds: lessons from ravens” 🐦‍⬛ 📺 Watch here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQoB...

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Reposted by Catherine Macri

Animal Behaviour Live @animalbehaviour.live · 03/09/2026

⏰ Just 3 days left! The deadline to submit your abstract for #ABL2026 is almost here. Don’t miss this opportunity to present your research ! 📅 Deadline: September 6 📄 Submit now 👉 ablaoc.sciencesconf.org #ethology #animalbehavior #animalbehaviour #onlineconference

ablaoc.sciencesconf.org

Animal Behaviour Live: Annual Online Conference 2026 - Sciencesconf.org

Sciencesconf.org

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Reposted by Catherine Macri

David Baracchi @davidbaracchi.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

IUSSI2026 is over! It was a great success from every point of view. I’m so grateful to Judith Korb and the organizers for giving me the wonderful opportunity to be one of the plenary speakers. It was truly an honor! Looking forward to attending the next meeting in Africa in four years’ time!

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Reposted by Catherine Macri

Animal Behaviour Live @animalbehaviour.live · 20/08/2026

What’s the problem with noisy neighbors? 🐦️🔊 Join us on Nov 12 to discover Dr Sue Anne Zollinger’s work on the impacts of anthropogenic noise on wildlife, from sleep and song to offspring and even effects across generations! Register for FREE: https:// ablaoc.sciencesconf.org/

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Reposted by Catherine Macri

Chelsea Cook @phdbee.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

@nstroeymeyt.bsky.social is hiring! Collective behavior, disease, and social organization - if you’re looking for a PhD or postdoc! #IUSSI26

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Reposted by Catherine Macri

Animal Behaviour Live @animalbehaviour.live · 14/08/2026

🌟 You’re invited! 🌟 Join us for #ABL2026, a FREE online conference on 12 November, centred on this year’s theme: “Studying Animal Behaviour in a Changing World” 🌍 📅 Submit your abstract by 6 September! 🔗 More info & sign-up: ablaoc.sciencesconf.org #ethology #animalbehavior #onlineconference

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Reposted by Catherine Macri

Animal Behaviour Live @animalbehaviour.live · 11/08/2026

How do antipredator defences shape colonisation, dispersal, and evolutionary patterns? Join us on Nov 12 to learn Dr Iliana Medina Guzmán work ! Learn more about the conference & register for FREE: ablaoc.sciencesconf.org #ethology #animalbehavior #animalbehaviour #scienceconference

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Reposted by Catherine Macri

Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

@viveknityananda.bsky.social explaining the @affect-evo.bsky.social European COST action during the symposium on the neuroscience of emotion at #ICN2026 ! 🐝🐟🦇🦐🐦 Please join the AFFECT-EVO community 😊

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Reposted by Catherine Macri

Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Amazing talk by @avispatica.bsky.social on how parasites hack wasps' brains and behaviour! Your work is fantastic 🐝🧠

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Reposted by Catherine Macri

Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Luigi Baciadonna @lbaciadonna.bsky.social on how a stressful experience modulates attention in bumble bees 🐝 at #ICN2026 in Vancouver. Great talk !!

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Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Luigi Baciadonna @lbaciadonna.bsky.social on how a stressful experience modulates attention in bumble bees 🐝 at #ICN2026 in Vancouver. Great talk !!

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Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Amazing talk by @avispatica.bsky.social on how parasites hack wasps' brains and behaviour! Your work is fantastic 🐝🧠

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Reposted by Catherine Macri

Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Really happy to have given a talk on our project (with @lbaciadonna.bsky.social , @martingiurfa.bsky.social and @davidbaracchi.bsky.social ) on the Fear-like state in honey bees 🐝 at #ICN2026 #ICN2026Vancouver! Grateful for the invitation and the YRI conference grant from @affect-evo.bsky.social 🙌

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Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

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Reposted by Catherine Macri

Floria Mora-Kepfer Uy @avispatica.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

How do parasites reprogram brains so your host becomes a zombie? If you are still at #ICN2026 tomorrow Friday, come to my talk at 3:30 pm (room 2306/2309) #strepsiptera #zombiewasp

Polistes fuscatus social wasp infected by twisted wing insects (Strepsiptera)

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Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

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Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Your work is inspiring and I immensely enjoyed your presentation ! Well deserved. Congratulations 🎉

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Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Happy to be at #ICN2026 in Vancouver, Canada ! And if you're interested in bees and emotional states 🐝😨, consider attending my talk on Thursday at 11:20am ! (Symposium #12) And thanks to @viveknityananda.bsky.social and Luigi Baciadonna for inviting me 😊 #ICN2026Vancouver

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Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Great plenary talk by Joe Parker on the evolution of symbiotic entrenchment at #ICN2026 ! A story on CHC and chemical mimicry, seeking ant hosts and hugging them to not die? 🤯

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Reposted by Catherine Macri

International Society for Neuroethology @neuroethology.org · 27/07/2026

First awardee is @samjakeengland.bsky.social presenting their research on #ecology of #electrostatics⚡️🌸🦋🐝🐛 #pollination #parasitism #predatorpreyinteractions Congratulations, Sam! 🥳👍

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Reposted by Catherine Macri

Animal Behaviour Live @animalbehaviour.live · 13/07/2026

Want to present your research at #ABL2026? 🗓 Submit your abstract by 6 September and join researchers from around the world for a day dedicated to "Studying Animal Behaviour in a Changing World." 🎤 Choose between: 🔹 A 15-min live talk 🔹 A 5-min video poster 📄 Submit now ablaoc.sciencesconf.org

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Reposted by Catherine Macri

Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Our latest paper is nicely decrypted in this thread ! ⬇️🐝

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Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Thank you ! I'm happy you like the research! 😊

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Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Our latest paper is nicely decrypted in this thread ! ⬇️🐝

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Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

How could I miss that ?! Thank you so much for the highlight, I appreciate it a lot ! 😊

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Catherine Macri @catherinemacri.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

It reminded of the dimensions of consciousness framework indeed! Thank you for sharing this very interesting paper 😊

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