Effects of the Environmental Temperature on Insects
A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 1179
Special Issue Editor
Interests: biological invasions; invasive species; biological control; IPM; parasitoids; species distribution models; ecological modeling; multivariate analysis; life- table invasion models; temperature; insect development
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue explores how environmental temperature shapes insect biology, ecology, and their roles in ecosystems. Temperature is one of the most important drivers of ectotherm physiology, influencing rates of development, survival, reproduction, and ultimately population dynamics and distribution. Over the past decades, models based on thermal physiology have advanced our ability to predict insect phenology and geographic range shifts. Yet, much less is known about how temperature affects insect behavior, even though behavioral plasticity can be critical for species persistence, interactions, and ecosystem stability under climate change.
We are particularly interested in contributions that integrate physiology and behavior to better understand how insects respond to both gradual shifts in mean temperatures and short-term extreme thermal events. Studies examining thermal tolerance, behavioral thermoregulation, and plasticity at individual, population, or community scales are especially welcome. We also encourage work that links empirical data with modeling approaches, from stage-structured population models to individual-based frameworks, that capture the variability of responses within and among species.
By bridging thermal biology, behavioral ecology, and population dynamics, this Special Issue aims to highlight new insights into how insects cope with temperature variation and extremes, and what this means for ecosystems under climate change. We invite original research articles, reviews, short communications, and concept papers that showcase innovative methods, empirical findings, or theoretical advances on this timely topic.
Dr. Ivan Milosavljević
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-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
- environmental temperature
- insect thermal biology
- behavioral ecology
- climate change
- thermal tolerance
- insect ecology
- population dynamics
- thermal plasticity
- extreme thermal events
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