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Biology
Special Issues
Insecticide Resistance: Molecular Mechanisms and Ecological Implications
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Insecticide Resistance: Molecular Mechanisms and Ecological Implications

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 697

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Kaikai Mao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Interests: insecticide resistance; molecular mechanism; regulatory network; resistance gene; pest resistance management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Insecticide resistance represents a critical challenge to effective pest management and ecological balance. The evolution of insect resistance to insecticides threatens the long-term sustainability of these compounds as the most reliable means for controlling agricultural and medical pests. Additionally, the adverse effects of insecticides on pollinators, natural enemies, and non-target organisms can lead to ecosystem disruption, the resurgence of target pests, and ultimately reduced agricultural productivity. Advances in genomics, molecular biology, structural biology, and entomology will enhance our understanding of the following: (1) evolution of insecticide resistance/tolerance in insects, genetic characterizations, and fitness cost; (2) characterization of new genes, new proteins, new mutations, or new pathways and regulation mechanisms involved in adaptation/tolerance/resistance to insecticides; (3) impact of insecticide resistance on species interactions and ecological/environmental assessment; and (4) side effects of insecticides against pollinators, predators, or parasitoids. A deeper understanding of these aspects is essential for developing sustainable pest management strategies and mitigating adverse effects on ecosystems and agricultural productivity. This Special Issue invites submissions of original research articles and comprehensive reviews that address these and related topics.

Dr. Kaikai Mao
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 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. Biology 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 2700 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

  • insecticide resistance
  • molecular mechanism
  • regulatory network
  • ecological impact
  • non-target impact
  • resistance genes
  • pest resistance management

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

29 pages, 2190 KB  
Review
The Sublethal Effects of Neonicotinoids on Honeybees
by Zunair Ahsan, Zhijia Wu, Zheguang Lin, Ting Ji and Kang Wang
Biology 2025, 14(8), 1076; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14081076 - 18 Aug 2025
Viewed by 413
Abstract
Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are indispensable pollinators vital to global biodiversity, ecosystem stability, and agricultural productivity, and they promote over 35% of food crops and 75% of flowering plants. Yet, they are in unprecedented decline, partly as a result of neonicotinoid pesticide [...] Read more.
Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are indispensable pollinators vital to global biodiversity, ecosystem stability, and agricultural productivity, and they promote over 35% of food crops and 75% of flowering plants. Yet, they are in unprecedented decline, partly as a result of neonicotinoid pesticide use elsewhere. These effects on honey bee health are synthesized in this paper through molecular, physiological, and behavioral data showing that sublethal effects of neonicotinoids impair honey bee health. As neurotoxic insecticides that target nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), these insecticides interfere with neurotransmission and underlie cognitive impairment, immune suppression, and oxidative stress. Developmental toxicity is manifested in larvae as retarded growth, reduced feeding, and increased death; queen and drone reproduction are impaired, lowering colony viability. As a result, adult bees have shortened lives and erratic foraging, are further disoriented, and experience impaired navigation, communication, and resource collection. Together, these effects cascade to reduced brood care, thermoregulatory failure, and heretofore unrecognized increased susceptibility to pathogens, increasing the probability of colony collapse at the colony level. Contaminants such as pesticides may cause pollinator exposure and, in turn, may cause their population to be undermined if they are not mitigated; therefore, urgent mitigation strategies, including integrated pest management (IPM), regulatory reforms, and adoption of biopesticides, are needed to mitigate pollinator exposure. The focus of this review lies in the ecological necessity of restructuring how agriculture is managed to simultaneously meet food security and the conservation of honeybee health, the linchpin of global ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Insecticide Resistance: Molecular Mechanisms and Ecological Implications)
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