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Insects

Insects is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal on entomology, published monthly online by MDPI. 

Indexed in PubMed | Quartile Ranking JCR - Q1 (Entomology)

All Articles (7,901)

Understanding how rising temperatures driven by climate change affect biodiversity and ecosystem functioning is particularly relevant in fragile island environments. Terceira Island, part of the Azorean Archipelago (Portugal) in the mid-Atlantic Ocean, was selected for an in situ experiment to assess the effects of simulated warming on arthropod diversity and grass productivity in intensively managed pastures. Over one year, we examined the influence of a simulated increase in temperature via Open Top Chambers (OTCs) on ground-dwelling arthropod assemblages and plant biomass. We used several statistical methods to analyze both individual variables and overall community patterns to explore the relationships between treatments, grass biomass, and arthropod community structure. Although the OTC treatment did not result in any significant changes to the analyzed variables, an increase in diversity indices was observed over the course of the experiment. Distance-based redundancy analysis revealed significant effects of both OTC treatment and altitude on arthropod community composition. Models showed that the analyzed variables only partially explained the observed changes. Nevertheless, additional factors, such as vegetation structure and microclimatic variation, may also contribute to the observed patterns and warrant further investigation. These results underscore the importance of long-term, multifactorial approaches to understanding interactions between warming, plant productivity, and arthropod diversity.

1 March 2026

Location of the Azorean Archipelago, the island of Terceira, and the two experimental fields.

Current Knowledge on Insecticide Resistance in Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1894) in Latin America and the Caribbean Nations

  • João Simão Silva Gonçalves,
  • Ademir J. Martins and
  • José Bento Pereira Lima
  • + 4 authors

Aedes albopictus is an important vector of several arboviruses and has expanded its distribution throughout Latin America and the Caribbean in recent decades. Despite its increasing epidemiological relevance, data on insecticide resistance in this region remain limited compared to Aedes aegypti. This review compiled and analyzed the published evidence on this topic across the region. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, SciELO, Google Scholar, LILACS, and DOAJ, using combinations of the terms “insecticide resistance” or “insecticide susceptibility” plus “Aedes albopictus”, and the names of all countries recognized by the United Nations as part of the region. Studies published until May 2025 were considered, regardless of the publication year. Following the core PRISMA principles adapted for this review, 33 studies were identified, of which 17 met the inclusion criteria. Results indicate recurrent but uneven reports of resistance, with organophosphates being the most frequently evaluated insecticide (33.9%), followed by pyrethroids (27.7%) and carbamates (10.8%), and metabolic mechanisms being the most implicated. Evidence suggests that control actions focused on Ae. aegypti may also impose selective pressure over Ae. albopictus. Overall, the resistance found on Ae. albopictus emphasizes the need for expanded and standardized surveillance to support effective vector control across the Americas.

1 March 2026

PRISMA flow chart summarizing the study selection process conducted in June 2025 for the review on Aedes albopictus insecticide resistance in Latin America and the Caribbean nations. No automation tools were used [55].

Climate warming puts new selective pressures on natural populations, but there are few quantitative measurements of selection in natural populations over protracted time periods. Observations made at the beginning and end ofa 47-year cumulative increase of 2.7 °C in the mean September temperature in Northern Minnesota, USA, permit quantitative estimation of selection against a suite of alleles at a single locus determining the expressionof dark color forms in populations of the meadow spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius (L.) (Hemiptera: Cercopoidea: Aphrophoridae). Alternative methods of estimation of the selection coefficient s, a measure of the intensity of selection, produce values of s = 0.0125 and 0.0218, respectively, corresponding to a disadvantage of about one to two percent per year or, since P. spumarius is univoltine, per round of selection. The existence of a locus under selection presents an opportunity for molecular localization and characterization of the genetic locus determining color form. Philaenus spumarius is of particular interest in Europe, as it is the major local vector of the bacterial plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa.

1 March 2026

Stylized drawings of color forms present at frequencies greater than 1% in Northern Minnesota populations of the meadow spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius. The three-letter standardized abbreviations stand for the color forms populi (POP), typicus (TYP), lateralis (LAT), flavicollis (FLA), leucocephalus (LCE), and leucophthalmus (LOP). POP and TYP are non-melanic forms. LAT, FLA, LCE, and LOP are melanic forms. Modified from ref. [13]. In the living animals, the colors are a mix of cream, tan, brown, and black (see Figure 2).

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response, or unfolded protein response (UPR), is crucial for cellular homeostasis and host defense. Its role in insect vectors of plant pathogens remains poorly understood. This study conducted a comprehensive molecular characterization of three core UPR genes—BiP, IRE1, and XBP1—in Diaphorina citri, the insect vector of the citrus huanglongbing pathogen Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas). Expression profiling showed distinct developmental and tissue-specific patterns for these genes. The IRE1-mediated unconventional splicing of XBP1 mRNA was identified in D. citri and predicted across diverse insect pests. A semi-quantitative RT-PCR assay was established to detect this splicing event for monitoring ER stress. Time-course analysis of CLas-infected D. citri revealed an early activation (upregulation of BiP, IRE1, XBP1 transcripts, and increased XBP1 splicing) followed by later suppression of the UPR. Functional studies demonstrated that induction of ER stress with thapsigargin increased CLas titer. RNAi-mediated silencing showed that IRE1 silencing increased CLas proliferation, whereas XBP1 silencing reduced it. These findings provide foundational insights into the ER stress pathway in D. citri and demonstrate that the IRE1-XBP1 branch of the UPR plays a critical role in modulating CLas infection dynamics within its insect vector.

28 February 2026

Amplification and sequence analysis of BiP and IRE1. (A,D) Full-length amplification of BiP and IRE1 transcripts, respectively. Primers used are listed in Table S1. Lane M: DL2000 DNA marker. White arrowheads indicate the specific amplicons. (B,E) Molecular organizations of BiP and IRE1 transcripts, respectively. Open reading frames (ORFs) and conserved domains are denoted as gray boxes. (C,F) Predicted three-dimensional structures of the BiP and IRE1 proteins, respectively. Conserved domains are highlighted, and model quality scores (pLDDT: predicted Local Distance Difference Test; pTM: predicted Template Modeling score) are provided.

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Insects - ISSN 2075-4450