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Insects
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Genetic Diversity of Insects
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Genetic Diversity of Insects

A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450). This special issue belongs to the section "Insect Molecular Biology and Genomics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 3631

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Pairot Pramual

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahasarakham University, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand
Interests: DNA barcodes; population genetics; molecular systematics; insect vectors; Diptera
Dr. Luis M. Hernandez-Triana

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Animal and Plant Health Agency, Virology Department, Vector Borne Diseases Research Group, Addlestone, UK
Interests: medical insects; genetic diversity; DNA taxonomy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With over a million described species, insects constitute the majority of living organisms on Earth. They interact with humans in various ways, acting as pests and vectors of significant global infectious diseases, in humans, other animals, and plants (including crucial crops). On the other hand, many insect species play vital roles in ecological functions such as pollination and connecting food chains within diverse ecosystems.

The use of insects as food and feed is now becoming a global issue and has come to be considered a potential alternative approach regarding feeding future human populations. Given the paramount importance of insects, a thorough understanding of their biodiversity is crucial and this understanding often relies on information gleaned from genetic markers. Knowledge of the genetic diversity of insects has diverse applications including: taxonomy and systematics, vector control and management, the utilization of genetic resources to improve insect-based food and feed production, and insect conservation. Despite a long history of studying insect genetic diversity, there remain several unexplored knowledge gaps, particularly those involving superdiverse insects in tropical regions. Therefore, we are pleased to invite submission of research and review articles for this Special Issue of Insects. We welcome papers relevant to all aspects of insect genetic diversity. 

Prof. Dr. Pairot Pramual
Dr. Luis M. Hernandez-Triana
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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-blind 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

  • genetic diversity
  • molecular markers
  • adaptation
  • molecular taxonomy
  • population genetics
  • insects

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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14 pages, 7936 KiB  
Article
Inter- and Intra-Species Variation and Genetic Diversity of Flea Ectoparasites in Hedgehogs (Mammalia, Erinaceidae) Collected in Northern Algeria
by Ourida Chebbah, Karim Souttou, Karim Ouachek, Mohamed Lounis, Sophie Brun, Arezki Izri and Mohammad Akhoundi
Insects 2025, 16(4), 390; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16040390 - 6 Apr 2025
Viewed by 456
Abstract
Hedgehogs are small omnivorous mammals prevalent across Europe, Asia, and Africa. The expanding intrusion of humans into hedgehog habitats and rising popularity of keeping exotic animals like hedgehogs as pets have disrupted the delicate balance of the human–animal–environment interface. Despite their ecological importance, [...] Read more.
Hedgehogs are small omnivorous mammals prevalent across Europe, Asia, and Africa. The expanding intrusion of humans into hedgehog habitats and rising popularity of keeping exotic animals like hedgehogs as pets have disrupted the delicate balance of the human–animal–environment interface. Despite their ecological importance, hedgehog-borne flea species have received limited research attention, with most studies focusing on their vectorial role, and except one report, nothing on the species composition and genetic diversity of hedgehog flea specimens. An inventory and phylogenetic investigation, conducted for the first time in Algeria as well as in North Africa, allowed for collecting 45 hedgehogs (15 males and 30 females) and 303 fleas, and analyzing them through morphological and molecular approaches. The hedgehog specimens were subjected to macro- and microscopic examinations based on diagnostic morphological criteria and morphometric measurements, resulting in their identification as Atelerix algirus. This study represents the first report of this species’ prevalence in Djelfa. The ecological and geographical diversity of the studied areas, from arid deserts to humid regions, highlights the adaptability and resilience of A. algirus to diverse habitats. Additionally, 271 and 32 flea specimens were morphologically identified as Archaeopsylla erinacei and Ctenocephalides felis, respectively. Molecular examination targeting ITS1-rDNA further confirmed the morphological identification of fleas species. Phylogenetic analysis of fleas’ ITS1-rDNA sequences revealed heterogeneity, with the specimens clustering into two distinct clades. The first clade comprised two populations of A. erinacei, while the second clade included C. felis specimens of this study, grouped with homologous sequences from various regions worldwide. No correlation between flea species and geographical locations was observed demonstrating the sympatric distribution of flea specimens in the studied regions. In addition, no hybrid or genetic combination notion was observed among the flea specimens processed in this study compared with those coming from other countries. These findings contribute to our understanding of the species composition and distribution of hedgehogs and their flea ectoparasites in Algeria and provide a baseline for future epidemiological and entomological research in the country. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Diversity of Insects)
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15 pages, 5432 KiB  
Article
Exploring the Genetic Diversity of the Jewel Beetles Sternocera aequisignata Saunders, 1866, and S. ruficornis Saunders, 1866 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in Thailand and Lao PDR
by Anisanee Thaenasa, Nakorn Pradit, Warayutt Pilap, Chavanut Jaroenchaiwattanachote, Komgrit Wongpakam, Khamla Inkhavilay, Jatupon Saijuntha, Wittaya Tawong, Warong Suksavate, Chairat Tantrawatpan and Weerachai Saijuntha
Insects 2025, 16(3), 322; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16030322 - 19 Mar 2025
Viewed by 347
Abstract
Jewel beetles of the genus Sternocera are widely distributed across tropical regions, including Thailand and Lao PDR, where the green-legged S. aequisignata Saunders, 1866, and red-legged S. ruficornis Saunders, 1866, are commonly found. These jewel beetles have significant economic importance, as they are [...] Read more.
Jewel beetles of the genus Sternocera are widely distributed across tropical regions, including Thailand and Lao PDR, where the green-legged S. aequisignata Saunders, 1866, and red-legged S. ruficornis Saunders, 1866, are commonly found. These jewel beetles have significant economic importance, as they are edible, and their iridescent wings are used to create jewelry, leading to high market demand and intensive harvesting. Additionally, their habitats are being rapidly destroyed, resulting in population decline. However, genetic information on these species remains limited. This study aims to investigate the genetic diversity of S. aequisignata and S. ruficornis from various localities in Thailand and Lao PDR using mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) and 16S ribosomal DNA (16S rDNA) sequences. High genetic diversity was observed, with 45 and 62 CO1 haplotypes and 35 and 28 16S rDNA haplotypes identified in S. aequisignata and S. ruficornis populations, respectively. Haplotype network and phylogenetic analyses clearly distinguish S. aequisignata from S. ruficornis. Based on CO1 sequences, S. aequisignata was divided into three distinct haplogroups (GG1–GG3). Haplogroup GG1 was the most widespread, occurring in both Thailand and Lao PDR, while haplogroups GG2 and GG3 were restricted to some localities in northern, western, and northeastern Thailand, as well as Lao PDR. These findings suggest the presence of cryptic diversity within S. aequisignata, with at least three genetically distinct groups. Further comprehensive studies on the biology, ecology, and genetic diversity of these jewel beetles across their distribution range are essential to better understand their evolutionary dynamics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Diversity of Insects)
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16 pages, 2458 KiB  
Article
Bridging the Gap Between Platforms: Comparing Grape Phylloxera Daktulosphaira vitifoliae (Fitch) Microsatellite Allele Size and DNA Sequence Variation
by Mark J. Blacket, Alexander M. Piper, Ary A. Hoffmann, John Paul Cunningham and Isabel Valenzuela
Insects 2025, 16(2), 230; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16020230 - 19 Feb 2025
Viewed by 579
Abstract
Grape phylloxera, Daktulosphaira vitifoliae (Fitch), is an economically significant pest of grapevines. Identification of phylloxera genotypes is an important aspect of management as genotypes differ in virulence and susceptibility to control using resistant rootstocks. Microsatellite markers developed on polyacrylamide gel systems have been the [...] Read more.
Grape phylloxera, Daktulosphaira vitifoliae (Fitch), is an economically significant pest of grapevines. Identification of phylloxera genotypes is an important aspect of management as genotypes differ in virulence and susceptibility to control using resistant rootstocks. Microsatellite markers developed on polyacrylamide gel systems have been the most widely used molecular method for phylloxera genotype identification, but this approach has been superseded by fluorescent capillary-based genotyping. The current study presents new laboratory methods for amplifying a standard set of eight phylloxera microsatellite markers using PCR-incorporated fluorescently labelled primers, genotyped on an ABI capillary platform. Comparison of allele size data scored on (i) polyacrylamide, (ii) capillary, and (iii) high-throughput sequencing (HTS) platforms revealed that the capillary genotyping most closely matched the HTS allele sizes, while alleles of loci originally scored on a polyacrylamide platform differ in size by up to three base pairs, mostly due to the presence of previously uncharacterised DNA sequence indels. Seven common clonal lineages of phylloxera known from Australia are proposed as reference samples for use in calibrating genotyping systems between platforms and laboratories to ensure universal scoring of allele sizes, providing a critical link for accurately matching previous phylloxera genotype studies with current research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Diversity of Insects)
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12 pages, 2509 KiB  
Brief Report
Comparative Mitogenomics and Phylogenetic Implications for Nine Species of the Subfamily Meconematinae (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae)
by Siyu Pang, Qianwen Zhang, Lili Liang, Yanting Qin, Shan Li and Xun Bian
Insects 2024, 15(6), 413; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15060413 - 3 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1391
Abstract
Currently, the subfamily Meconematinae encompasses 1029 species, but whole-mitochondrial-genome assemblies have only been made available for 13. In this study, the whole mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of nine additional species in the subfamily Meconematinae were sequenced. The size ranged from 15,627 bp to 17,461 [...] Read more.
Currently, the subfamily Meconematinae encompasses 1029 species, but whole-mitochondrial-genome assemblies have only been made available for 13. In this study, the whole mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) of nine additional species in the subfamily Meconematinae were sequenced. The size ranged from 15,627 bp to 17,461 bp, indicating double-stranded circular structures. The length of the control region was the main cause of the difference in mitochondrial genome length among the nine species. All the mitogenomes including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA genes (tRNAs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs) and a control region (CR). The majority strand encoded 23 genes, and the minority strand encoded 14 genes. A phylogenetic analysis reaffirmed the monophyletic status of each subfamily, but the monophysitism of Xizicus, Xiphidiopsis and Phlugiolopsis was not supported. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Diversity of Insects)
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