Interpreting insect behavior through the lens of executive functions

Bartosz Baran^*Michał ObidzińskiMateusz Hohol^*

• Centrum Kopernika Badan Interdyscyplinarnych Uniwersytetu Jagiellonskiego, Kraków, Poland

The presented perspective proposes interpreting insect behavior through the framework of executive functions (EF), a set of cognitive processes traditionally studied in humans and subsequently extended to other vertebrates. We argue that insect behaviors could be accurately characterized using EF-related constructs such as inhibition, shifting, and working memory. By systematically reviewing both explicit and implicit uses of EF-related terminology in the insect cognition literature, we demonstrate conceptual and functional parallels that support this reinterpretation. We also propose that applying the EF framework generates novel, testable predictions about behavioral flexibility, and context-sensitive control in insects. Further, we highlight candidate neural substrates (specifically the mushroom bodies and central complex) that may underpin executive-like processing in insect brains. Our perspective is grounded in comparative cognitive science and encourages a shift toward domain-general interpretations of behavior in small-brained organisms. This approach provides a cohesive theoretical foundation for understanding the mechanisms that govern individual and group behaviors in insects and promotes integrative research across species. By bridging concepts from domains of neuropsychology, ethology, and behavioral neuroscience, the manuscript outlines both the promise and limitations of the proposed framework, offering a possible foundation for future empirical and theoretical work.