Insect Behavior and Pathology
A section of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450).
Section Information
Insects is an international peer-reviewed open access journal of entomology published monthly online by MDPI.
The section “Insect Behavior and Pathology” will focus on infectious agents in insects. The emphasis is on infectious agents (bacteria, fungi, microsporidia, nematodes, and viruses) causing overt or covert infections in insects. The associated pathology, immune responses, and the switch between covert and overt infections are of particular interest. The same holds true for studies analyzing the mechanisms underlying changes in behavior induced by entomopathogens. This section will include studies on entomopathogens affecting free-living as well as cultured/reared insects. With the ongoing increase in scale and application purposes of reared insects (from apiculture and pollination services to biocontrol, food and feed, fishery, waste management, and sterile insect techniques), the generated knowledge is expected to grow considerably in the coming years. Understanding the simultaneous effect of multiple pathogens on insects and the interplay of pathogenic and mutualistic interactions is a clear future goal. Papers on insects as vectors for human/animal/plant diseases may also be submitted to this section so long as the focus is on the interaction of the transmitted agent and the insect vector (compared to the section Insect Pest and Vector Management).
Keywords
- infectious diseases of free-living and reared insects, including pollinators
- interactions of insects with pathogens at the molecular, cellular, organismal, and population level
- interplay between pathogens and other microbial organisms in insects
- immune responses to infectious agents
- transmission strategies of insect pathogens
- overt versus covert infections, latency and persistency
- behavioral manipulation
Editorial Board
Topical Advisory Panel
Special Issue
Following special issue within this section is currently open for submissions:
- Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae): Behavior, Ecology and Integrated Management (Deadline: 30 June 2025)
Topical Collections
Following topical collections within this section are currently open for submissions:
