Thermal Plasticity and Adaptation in Insects

Dear Colleagues, 

Temperature represents the most important abiotic factor for insects, by affecting all aspects of their biology. Extreme and fluctuating temperatures are challenging for these ectotherms, especially facing climate change. Insects have evolved a large diversity of adaptations to cope with. Further, thermal sensitivity is a highly plastic trait, varying according to different temporal scales (developmental plasticity, hardening, and transgenerational plasticity) and depending on several phenotypic components (morphology, physiology, and behavior). Thermal plasticity is expected to play a central role in thermal adaptation, but it is constrained by physiological thresholds and the thermal environment experienced by the organisms. Our understanding of the diversity, mechanisms, and the adaptative value of plastic responses to temperature is crucial to predict the consequences of climate change on every ecological levels, from organisms to communities. This Special Issue of Insects will address the thermal plasticity of insects. We invite submissions of original research papers and reviews that address plastic responses of insects to thermal conditions, including behavioral, physiological, and molecular ecology as well as theoretical and modeling approaches.

Dr. Vincent Foray
Dr. Philippe Louâpre
Prof. Thierry Hance
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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.

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