Biology and Molecular Mechanisms of Insect–Plant Interactions
A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 1556
Editor
2. Department of Plant Biology, Ecology, and Evolution, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
Interests: aphid; crop protection; crop science; DNA marker; genomics; plant biotechnology; plant genetics; plant-aphid interaction; plant resistance; QTL mapping
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Insect–plant interactions play a critical role in shaping ecosystems, affecting biodiversity, plant health, and agricultural productivity. These relationships span antagonistic (e.g., herbivory and disease transmission) to mutualistic (e.g., pollination and the attraction of beneficial insects for plant defense). Plants have evolved a wide array of chemical and structural defenses, while insects have concurrently adapted to exploit or overcome these traits.
Recent advances in molecular biology, genomics, and metabolomics have expanded our understanding of the intricate signaling networks and molecular mechanisms underlying these interactions. Exploring how plants perceive insect-derived cues and activate defenses and how insects, in turn, respond to or manipulate these signals, offers valuable insights into their co-evolution.
Crucially, these fundamental knowledges support integrated pest management by informing the development of sustainable, pesticide-free control strategies that minimize crop loss while safeguarding pollinators and natural enemies.
This Special Issue invites original research and reviews focused on all aspects of insect–plant interactions, with a particular emphasis on underlying molecular mechanisms.
Dr. Yinghua Huang
Guest Editor
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–plant interactions
- plant defense
- defense mechanism
- molecular response
- phytohormone
- plant immunity
- plant resistance
- insect adaptation
- integrated pest management
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