Beetles: Biology, Ecology, and Integrated Management

A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 756

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Agricultural Zoology and Entomology, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
Interests: coleoptera; beetles; forest entomology; lepidoptera; insect distribution; agricultural entomology; integrated pest management; pest management; insect; entomology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Coleoptera is the largest order of insects on Earth, exhibiting vast diversity and various roles within their environments, where they are essential in diverse ecosystems, acting as either decomposers and pollinators or as pests that inflict significant damage on crops, stored products, urban plants, and forests. This Special Issue aims to cover the biology, ecology, and management of beetles in all anthromes including croplands, forests, food production, and structures. Thus, studies that examine aspects of biology and ecology of coleopterans, such as morphology, morphometry, phylogeny, physiology, life cycle, distribution, and behavior are of interest for this Special Issue. Furthermore, research efforts that present modern integrated pest management (IPM) strategies, which combine biological, pesticides, and proactive interventions for the effective and sustainable management of harmful beetles, are particularly relevant to the scope of this Special Issue.

Dr. Maria C. Boukouvala
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • systematics
  • reproduction
  • evolution
  • biological control
  • chemical control
  • green insecticides
  • sublethal effects of insecticides
  • combined treatments

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

19 pages, 2947 KB  
Article
Mouthparts and Alimentary Tract of Flower-Visiting Monkey Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Hopliini): Insights into Feeding Preferences
by Michael Neulinger, Florian Karolyi, Jonathan F. Colville, Myriam E. Widmann, Jonas Kristl and Harald W. Krenn
Insects 2025, 16(9), 985; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16090985 - 21 Sep 2025
Viewed by 571
Abstract
Monkey beetles (Hopliini, Scarabaeoidea) are a species-rich group of flower-visiting insects that are specialized to feed on floral tissue, pollen and/or nectar. We studied ten South African species, examining morphological features associated with their specific feeding preferences. This is the first attempt in [...] Read more.
Monkey beetles (Hopliini, Scarabaeoidea) are a species-rich group of flower-visiting insects that are specialized to feed on floral tissue, pollen and/or nectar. We studied ten South African species, examining morphological features associated with their specific feeding preferences. This is the first attempt in a limited number of beetle species to comparatively investigate both the mouthparts and the alimentary tract in relation to ingested food. Using light microscopy, we found cutting edges on the mandibles and galea teeth in flower tissue-feeding species. Pollen feeders have numerous bristles on the maxillae and a prominent mola on the mandibles that are likely used for gathering and grinding pollen. The elongate heads and mouthparts of the nectar feeders are considered an adaptation that enable these species to mop up nectar while probing flowers. Using µCT imaging and reconstructions of the entire alimentary tract, our morphometric results suggest that food preferences are not related to total relative gut length, although the ratio of foregut to body length was greater in pollen- and nectar-feeding monkey beetles than in floral tissue-feeders. The midgut of females tends to be longer relative to body size compared to males. Our work serves as a basis for generating hypotheses for future research that includes gut morphology in flower-visiting insects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Beetles: Biology, Ecology, and Integrated Management)
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