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Journals
Insects
Special Issues
Insect Water Relations
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Insect Water Relations

A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450). This special issue belongs to the section "Insect Physiology, Reproduction and Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2020) | Viewed by 7240

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Arthur G. Appel

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Guest Editor
Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849-5413, USA
Interests: structural pests; insect physiology and behavior
Dr. Li Chen

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Interests: Insect neurophysiology; chemical ecology of insects; behavioral ecology; co-evolution of plant - herbivore - natural enemy; semiochemical - mediated behavior of insects; botanical insecticides

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

Regulation of water balance is critical for the survival and reproduction of all organisms. In this special issue, we welcome papers dealing with both the broad aspects of whole body arthropod water balance as well as more detailed studies on specific chemistries, structures, and behaviors that affect water loss and gain. Identification of cuticular hydrocarbons, determination of critical temperatures, and water vapor flux kinetics are all appropriate topics for this special issue. Comparative studies of species from similar and different environments and especially invasive species and new pests are also welcome. In case of doubt as to whether your manuscript falls within the focus of this Special Issue, please send us an abstract.

Prof. Dr. Arthur G. Appel
Dr. Li Chen
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

  • Cuticle epicuticlar hydrocarbons
  • cuticular water loss
  • critical temperature
  • respiratory water loss
  • desiccation resistance
  • water balance

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 746 KiB  
Article
Comparative Cutaneous Water Loss and Desiccation Tolerance of Four Solenopsis spp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the Southeastern United States
by Olufemi S. Ajayi, Arthur G. Appel, Li Chen and Henry Y. Fadamiro
Insects 2020, 11(7), 418; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11070418 - 5 Jul 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3279
Abstract
The high surface area to volume ratio of terrestrial insects makes them highly susceptible to desiccation mainly through the cuticle. Cuticular permeability (CP) is usually the most important factor limiting water loss in terrestrial insects. Water loss rate, percentage of total body water [...] Read more.
The high surface area to volume ratio of terrestrial insects makes them highly susceptible to desiccation mainly through the cuticle. Cuticular permeability (CP) is usually the most important factor limiting water loss in terrestrial insects. Water loss rate, percentage of total body water (%TBW) content, CP, and desiccation tolerance were investigated in workers of four Solenopsis species in the southeastern USA. We hypothesized that tropical/subtropical ants (S. invicta and S. geminata) will have lower CP values and tolerate higher levels of desiccation than temperate ants (S. richteri and S. invicta × S. richteri). The %TBW content was similar among species. Solenopsis invicta had a 1.3-fold and 1.1-fold lower CP value than S. invicta × S. richteri and S. richteri, respectively. Solenopsis geminata had a 1.3-fold lower CP value than S. invicta × S. richteri, and a 1.2-fold lower CP value than S. richteri. The LT50 values (lethal time to kill 50% of the population) ranged from 1.5 h (small S. geminata) to 8.5 h (large S. invicta). Desiccation tolerance ranged between 36 and 50 %TBW lost at death and was not related to a species’ location of origin. This study is the first report of water relations of S. invicta × S. richteri. It demonstrates that desiccation stress differentially can affect the survival of different Solenopsis species and implies that environmental stress can affect the distribution of these species in the southeastern USA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Water Relations)
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10 pages, 31939 KiB  
Article
A Comparison of Morphology among Four Termite Species with Different Moisture Requirements
by John Zukowski and Nan-Yao Su
Insects 2020, 11(5), 262; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11050262 - 25 Apr 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3193
Abstract
The thicknesses of the cuticle and rectal pads, and the spiracle morphology were compared for four termite species from different habitats, including one drywood termite, Cryptotermes brevis Walker, one “wetwood” termite, Cryptotermes cavifrons Banks, one subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, and one dampwood [...] Read more.
The thicknesses of the cuticle and rectal pads, and the spiracle morphology were compared for four termite species from different habitats, including one drywood termite, Cryptotermes brevis Walker, one “wetwood” termite, Cryptotermes cavifrons Banks, one subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, and one dampwood termite, Neotermes jouteli (Banks). Cuticle thicknesses were significantly different among all four termite species. Neotermes jouteli had the thickest cuticle, while Co. formosanus had the thinnest. The cuticle of C. brevis was thicker than that of C. cavifrons and Co. formosanus, which may reflect a comparably greater need to prevent water loss in drier habitats for C. brevis. Rectal pad widths were significantly different among all four termite species, except those of C. brevis with N. jouteli. The rectal pads of N. jouteli and C. brevis were thicker than those of C. cavifrons and Co. formosanus, and the rectal pads of C. cavifrons were thicker than those of Co. formosanus in turn. Larger rectal pads likely account for the water conservation mechanism of producing dry, pelleted frass in the kalotermitids (N. jouteli, C. brevis, and C. cavifrons). Morphological observations of the spiracles showed the presence of protuberances (atrial arms) in the three kalotermitids. The function of this protuberance is unclear, but it may serve as a sac-like structure, aiding in gas exchange, or a moisture trap aiding in the prevention of water loss through evaporation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insect Water Relations)
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