This is an exhaust vent, and katydids take readily to flight, so it’s in no danger of being sucked in, or blown off with no way to right itself. The katydid additionally is not being forced to stay on the vent, and likely was just sitting there when the fan was turned on – and is keeping quite a good grip on it, as they often do in heavy winds.
While I don’t think this mantis was forced into this situation at all, it can still definitely be hurt by the sparks. Mantises of course are not capable of understanding what sparks are, and it is simply responding to strange, noxious stimuli and objects flying at it, rather than being able to understand that it should move away to avoid injury. The people involved here should instead have relocated the mantis out of harm’s way.
Despite the efforts of the creator to minimize harm to these worms, they are still being shocked with low voltages of electricity enough to elicit a pain response, which is why the worms are moving so frantically here. Worms do in fact feel pain, though it is processed differently from mammals, and their response here is clearly negative.
An interesting video for sure, and a valiant effort on the part of the creator to minimize harm, but from purely an animal welfare perspective, these worms are still not having a good time.
It seems very unlikely that the mantis could injure itself here. This is, of course, not beneficial to the mantis, and doesn’t provide enrichment - but it’s not likely to be harmful.I will note thatwe don’t know enough about how insect perception works to know if they experience any negative response to frustrating stimuli like this, but as is, this mantis is not being threatened in any way.
This ladybug is following the pen simply because, like many insects, they use pheromone trails to navigate their environment. The ink in the pen smells similar enough to the pheromones that they will follow the trail of a line. Other insects, like termites, will also follow drawn lines for the same reason.
This is a Portuguese Man O’ War, a hydrozoan that is often called a jellyfish, and more importantly, can sting just like one. Their venom is incrediblypotent, and both severed tentacles and dead specimens can inflict painful stings. In the bestcase scenario, their sting will cause excruciating pain and long, open welts for a few days. In the worst case scenario, their sting can cause fever and shock, or allergic reactions, which have been known to result in death. You should neverdirectlyhandle a man o’ war, especially not with bare hands in a cup like this.
If you are stung by a man o’ war, immediately seek medical attention. Common “household remedies” like vinegar can actually worsen stings, and there is no way to tell how someone will react to a sting.
These roaches are being clearly restrained with tape, which both distresses them and can seriously injure/kill them if it is removed. Even though roaches are considered pest animals and are frequently killed, they are still animals, and this is notably inhumane.
This is a giant false-leaf katydid (Pseudophyllus titan) emitting a threat noise, intended to frighten off potential predators that might try to harm it. While it is not being restrained or injured in any way, it is still being provoked into distress.
While this stick insect is being held in an unconventional way, it’s being held delicately and is allowed to freely walk around once it’s uncurled from its defensive position. There’s no real way it could be injured here, though generally it is better to support an insect entirely when handling.
