The Role of Beneficial Insects in Pest Control
A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450). This special issue belongs to the section "Insect Pest and Vector Management".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 January 2026 | Viewed by 11
Special Issue Editors
Interests: entomology; biological control; habitat management; integrated pest management; sustainable agriculture
Interests: biological control; enemy–pest interaction; pesticide resistance; pesticide toxicity mechanisms; ecotoxicology; integrated pest management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Beneficial insects play a vital role in sustainable agriculture and ecosystem stability by regulating pest populations through separate yet interconnected functions. Understanding predator and parasitoid population dynamics can help reduce reliance on pesticides while enhancing biodiversity. Scientific research exploring their ecological interactions and behavioral mechanisms has applications for successful integrated pest management (IPM), thereby addressing global challenges such as food security, pesticide resistance, and environmental degradation. This Special Issue aims to highlight cutting-edge studies on the ecology, behavior, and utilization of beneficial insects, aligning with the Insects journal’s mission of advancing knowledge in entomology, biological control, and agroecology. We invite original research articles, reviews, and methodological papers covering themes such as predator–prey dynamics, parasitoid–host interactions, conservation biological control, habitat management for enhancing beneficial insect populations, and the integration of biocontrol in IPM strategies. Submissions may also explore molecular and genetic approaches, field-based case studies, and the impact of climate change on beneficial insect efficacy, contributing to the development of sustainable pest management solutions.
Prof. Dr. Pingyang Zhu
Dr. Yanhui Lu
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
- biological control
- agroecology
- predator–prey dynamics
- parasitoid–host interactions
- habitat management
- integrated pest management
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