> Do insects feel pain?

Yes, I think so. Because they show behavior that is consistent with being in a state of pain.

Despite what consciousness really is, I think evolution found a way to tap into that, by causing pain, or by registering pain on the consciousness by some unknown mechanism, for behaviors that are not beneficial to the organism that hosts the respective consciousness...

So I think if an organism that evolved here can display painful behavior, then it should really feel pain.