Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.3
3.0
Journals
Insects
Special Issues
Pollinator Diversity, Ecosystem Services, and Conservation in a Changing World
share announcement

Pollinator Diversity, Ecosystem Services, and Conservation in a Changing World

A Special Issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 December 2026 | Viewed by 3480

Editors

Dr. Ehsan Rahimi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Agricultural Research Institute, GyeongKuk National University, Andong 36729, Republic of Korea
Interests: insects; ecology; landscape; agriculture; vegetation
Prof. Dr. Chuleui Jung

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Agricultural Research Institute, Gyeongkuk National University, Andong 36729, Republic of Korea
Interests: entomology; diversity; pollinator; pollination; bees
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pollinators and other arthropods (Insecta and Arachnida) are essential to terrestrial ecosystems, supporting biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and human well-being. By facilitating the reproduction of wild plants and securing crop yields, they provide critical ecosystem services that sustain global food production. Their trophic associations, however, represent fragile networks increasingly destabilized by multiple drivers, including habitat loss, land-use intensification, climate change, pesticide use, pollution, invasive species, and biodiversity loss. These pressures not only threaten the diversity and abundance of pollinators and other beneficial arthropods (e.g., predators, parasitoids, and decomposers) but also jeopardize the ecological and economic benefits they deliver. Growing evidence highlights the urgent need for integrative research that links pollinator decline with ecosystem health and human livelihoods. This Special Issue, “Pollinator Diversity, Ecosystem Services, and Conservation in a Changing World,” invites research and review papers that explore these dynamics and advance innovative conservation strategies in changing landscapes.

Dr. Ehsan Rahimi
Prof. Dr. Chuleui Jung
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Insects is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • insect pollinators
  • agricultural landscapes
  • plant–pollinator interactions
  • climate change

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

14 pages, 2589 KB  
Article
Community Structure and Foraging Behavior of Flower-Visiting Insects in a Sweet Cherry Orchard in Eastern Gansu, China
by Shujuan Xu, Ruirui Liu, Qingxia Zhang, Wenfan Zeng, Shengrui Liang, Guobin Lan, Budan Duo and Xi Li
Insects 2026, 17(8), 786; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17080786 - 29 Jul 2026
Viewed by 349
Abstract
Pollination services provided by insects are fundamental to the productivity and quality of sweet cherry orchards. This study investigated the flower-visiting insect community and compared the pollination potential of A. mellifera and A. cerana in a sweet cherry orchard on the Loess Plateau [...] Read more.
Pollination services provided by insects are fundamental to the productivity and quality of sweet cherry orchards. This study investigated the flower-visiting insect community and compared the pollination potential of A. mellifera and A. cerana in a sweet cherry orchard on the Loess Plateau of eastern Gansu, China. Field surveys were conducted during the blooming periods of 2025 and 2026. Visual observation and video recording documented flower-visiting insects across five daily time intervals. Foraging behavior, including flower-handling time and inter-visit interval, was measured in both bee species. Pollen loads on five body parts (head, thorax, abdomen, wings, and legs) were measured by hemocytometry. Standing nectar volume was measured by capillary extraction. Statistical analyses included generalized linear models, Friedman tests, and Pearson correlation analysis. Fourteen insect taxa were identified, among which Hymenoptera was the most dominant order. The main visitors were A. mellifera and A. cerana. The peak of A. cerana visitation was at 12:00–14:00, whereas A. mellifera showed a broader activity peak spanning 12:00–16:00. Apis mellifera exhibited a significantly longer single-flower handling time compared to A. cerana, and inter-visit intervals did not differ significantly between species. Pollen loads showed both species carried the loosest pollen on their legs, but A. cerana also maintained a substantial load on its thorax. Pollen loads did not differ significantly between the two species on any body region. Pollinator activity and standing nectar volume both peaked at 14:00–16:00, but bee visitation showed no linear correlation with environmental factors. Although A. mellifera was numerically dominant, our findings indicate that A. cerana may play a disproportionate role in pollination because of its unique pollen-carrying profile and earlier peak of activity. Therefore, maintaining both honeybee species alongside a diverse assemblage of flower-visiting insects is a prudent strategy for resilient orchard pollination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pollinator Diversity, Ecosystem Services, and Conservation in a Changing World)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 2556 KB  
Article
Climate Change May Expand Geographic Distribution of Asian Butterflies Despite Climatic Niche Contraction
by Ehsan Rahimi and Chuleui Jung
Insects 2026, 17(7), 683; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17070683 - 1 Jul 2026
Viewed by 518
Abstract
This study presents a nuanced understanding of how butterflies may respond to climate change, suggesting that although many species could experience noticeable contractions in their climatic niches, a substantial number may still have the potential to considerably expand their geographic ranges. We modeled [...] Read more.
This study presents a nuanced understanding of how butterflies may respond to climate change, suggesting that although many species could experience noticeable contractions in their climatic niches, a substantial number may still have the potential to considerably expand their geographic ranges. We modeled the distributions of 200 butterfly species across Asia using the MaxEnt algorithm. Habitat suitability maps were produced for both current conditions and future scenarios under moderate (SSP245) and high (SSP585) greenhouse gas emissions. To analyze niche dynamics, we projected the realized niches of species onto principal component environmental spaces, which allowed us to quantify key processes including niche stability, expansion, unfilling, abandonment, and pioneering. These indices were then mapped spatially to identify potential changes in climatic niche configurations and geographic distributions in response to climate change. Our findings indicate that by 2070, under the moderate-emissions scenario (SSP245), 185 species are projected to show expansion in suitable habitat by an average of 38%, while 15 species may face an average decline of 11%. Under the high-emissions scenario (SSP585), 184 species are projected to show increases in suitable habitat by 55% on average, with 16 species showing an average decrease of 13%. Additionally, species are predicted to maintain approximately 63% of their current climatic niche stability under SSP585. Niche expansion averages 12%, reflecting potential range growth, whereas unfilling accounts for around 16%, indicating possible loss of some currently suitable areas. Niche abandonment or niche contraction, representing climatic spaces no longer projected to be occupied, comprises about 8%, and pioneering into entirely new climatic conditions remains limited at roughly 1%. The modeled presence of niche unfilling and abandonment suggests that butterflies may retain considerable ecological flexibility, potentially allowing them to shift into new environments under changing climate conditions. This projected adaptability may enhance their resilience by facilitating potential movement into novel or previously unoccupied habitats, though actual range shifts will depend on factors beyond climatic suitability alone. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pollinator Diversity, Ecosystem Services, and Conservation in a Changing World)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 1200 KB  
Article
Effects of Body Mass and Temperature on Sexual Selection in Bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) Under Equal Sex Ratios
by Min Su Park, Ji Hyun Woo, Weiyue Qiu, Hyung Joo Yoon, Bo Yeon Kim, Kyeong Yong Lee, Kwang Sik Lee and Byung Rae Jin
Insects 2026, 17(5), 481; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17050481 - 8 May 2026
Viewed by 1258
Abstract
Bumblebees are key pollinators in agricultural and natural ecosystems; however, climate change is driving shifts in population size, body size, and diversity. Accelerating global warming affects bumblebee body size, thereby influencing the strength of sexual selection and overall population fitness. Thus, this study [...] Read more.
Bumblebees are key pollinators in agricultural and natural ecosystems; however, climate change is driving shifts in population size, body size, and diversity. Accelerating global warming affects bumblebee body size, thereby influencing the strength of sexual selection and overall population fitness. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of body mass and temperature on sexual selection in Bombus terrestris reared under warm conditions, with mating conducted between equal sex ratios at both optimal (23 °C) and elevated (32 °C) temperatures. Mating success was lower at 32 °C than at 23 °C, regardless of body mass; however, larger queens and males consistently exhibited higher mating success at both temperatures than their smaller counterparts. Mate-choice patterns were similar across temperatures: large queens predominantly mated large males, whereas small ones mainly mated small males. However, small queens tended to mate large males at 32 °C than at 23 °C. Meanwhile, matings between small queens and small males occurred relatively later at both temperatures. Although small males exhibited longer mating durations than large ones, the amount of sperm transferred to the spermathecae of the queens was positively associated with the body size of both males and queens. Our findings indicate that, at equal sex ratios, mate choice in bumblebees is primarily determined by body mass at all temperatures. Thus, smaller bumblebees associated with higher temperatures had the lowest mating success. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pollinator Diversity, Ecosystem Services, and Conservation in a Changing World)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop