Do you view the killing of an insect as the moral
equivalent of killing a bird or mammal?
Although I include insects in my animal rights philosophy, I
recognize that there are important differences between insects
and animals such as birds and mammals. One, for example, is the
fact that many insects have extremely short life spans.
The importance of this can be illustrated through the following example. Suppose you were in a burning building, and could only save one of two individuals. One of these individuals is a terminally ill patient who only has several days to live, even if he is rescued. The other individual, however, is young and healthy. I believe that the choice in this case is fairly simple.
Given the fact that the entire life span of some insects is only a few days, this is the same principle I would apply if I had to choose between saving a mammal or saving an insect.
Follow up questions:
What do you do when a colony of insects infests your home?
Don't insects only behave on an instinctual level?