Definition of "insula"

All mammals have insulas that read their body condition, Dr. Craig said.

2007 February 6, Sandra Blakeslee, “A Small Part of the Brain, and Its Profound Effects”, in New York Times‎

The insula registers our physical gut feelings, including the sensation of a distended stomach and other inner states like nausea, warmth, a full bladder, and a pounding heart.

2011, Steven Pinker, The Better Angels of Our Nature, Penguin, published 2012, page 608