Immunological Insights for Insect Mass Rearing, Biocontrol, and Monitoring of Environmental Changes

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past century, research on insect immunity has enabled us to understand the fundamental mechanisms of cellular and humoral responses. Many studies have led to groundbreaking discoveries, revealing striking similarities between the innate immune responses of invertebrates and vertebrates. However, ongoing climate change, human population growth, and the spread of invasive species all contribute to the growing challenge of meeting food demand—challenges that can be mitigated through a deeper understanding of immune system functions. These issues are closely linked to the increased use of insecticides, which has resulted in environmental pollution, biodiversity loss, and significant impacts on human health. For these reasons, we must approach our research with a more applied perspective. We believe that studies on insect immunity can make a meaningful contribution to addressing these global issues. In particular, we encourage exploration of the following topics:

• Insect immunity as a target for new pest management strategies. A better understanding of the immune systems of economically harmful insects can support the development of new, biosafe, and selective pest control methods, such as RNA interference, either as a standalone approach or in combination with existing pest management techniques.
• Improving the quality of insect-based products through immune system enhancement. Insects are increasingly recognized as an excellent source of protein and lipids. Moreover, due to their composition, insect-based food, feed, and additives may promote animal growth and positively influence physiological health, for example, through the presence of antimicrobial peptides.
• The influence of climate change and environmental pollution on insect immune system. Recent research clearly shows that climate change and various pollutants impact the immune systems of both beneficial and pest insects. A deeper investigation into this area may be key to understanding changes in insect biodiversity and predicting of spread of invasive insect species.

This Special Issue welcomes original research articles, reviews, quantitative meta-analyses, and perspective articles focusing on various aspects of insect immune system functioning, both in species that cause economic losses and those used in mass rearing. We also encourage submissions of articles concerning the use of insect-based products related to their immunity, such as antimicrobial peptides, and studies examining the effects of environmental factors and pollutants on insect immune mechanisms.

Dr. Arkadiusz Urbański
Dr. Karolina Walkowiak-Nowicka
Dr. Jan Lubawy
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.

• insect immunity
• humoral response
• cellular response
• haemocytes
• pest species
• pest control
• integrative pest management
• insect mass rearing
• insect-based products
• antimicrobial peptides
• climate change
• environmental pollution
• host-pathogen interactions
• economic entomology