Palm Ecosystems: Tackling Insect Challenges through Ecology and Conservation Biology, Pest Control and Biotechnology

Dear Colleagues,

Palm trees are one of the best known and widely planted trees. They are an important source of food owing to their high nutrition value and provide a source of income for populations in North Africa and South Asia. In addition, they are used for landscaping in coastal regions across the world. Palm tree is a preferred host plant for many insect pests. Some of these are destructive pests that cause severe economic damage and threaten biodiversity in the palm ecosystem. Climate change and international trade have brought other problems, such as the spread of invasive pests into new regions. In this context, the development of ecological pest management programs offers new opportunities for the long-term protection of palms without negative impacts on human health and the environment. In addition, recent advances in omics offer plentiful possibilities to improve control methods for the most recalcitrant pests. This Special Issue will focus on recent studies that address palm-associated insect fauna, with an emphasis on how they can contribute to better palm pest management. We will consider studies dealing with interspecific interactions, population biology, chemical ecology, economic entomology, microbial pesticides and biotechnology.

Dr. Camilo Ayra-Pardo
Prof. Dr. Denis J. Wright
Guest Editors

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