Biology, Ecology and Management of Sap-Sucking Pests
A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 October 2025 | Viewed by 28
Special Issue Editor
Interests: aphids; Hemiptera; sap-feeding insect pests; fruit-damaging pests; molecular analysis; systematics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In a broad sense, sap-sucking insects are arthropods with mouthparts specifically adapted to piercing plant tissues and extracting fluids. This diverse group includes aphids, leafhoppers, stink bugs, mealybugs, thrips, whiteflies, scales, spider mites, jumping plant lice, planthoppers, and lace bugs.
Many of these insects are significant economic pests, causing substantial crop losses in agriculture, forestry, and ornamental plantings. They can directly damage plants by withdrawing essential nutrients and causing distortions, discolouration, deformations, the curling of leaves and shoots, and the emission of honeydew on which sooty mould develops, which can have severe consequences for plant health. In some cases, they also act as vectors for numerous viruses and bacterial diseases.
While completely eradicating these insects is often impractical and unnecessary, sustainable management strategies can effectively control their populations while safeguarding the environment, plants, and beneficial fauna.
This Special Issue aims to highlight studies dealing with topics concerning sap-sucking insect pests, encompassing their biology, interactions with other organisms, and natural enemies. We also welcome research on the real-world impact of these arthropods on production and yield, as well as management strategies with low environmental impact in both natural and anthropogenic habitats. Given the increasing need for sustainable control strategies and the ongoing challenge of invasive species, the focus of this research is timely and crucial.
Dr. Giuseppe Eros Massimino Cocuzza
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. 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
- Hemiptera
- Homoptera
- sap-sucking insects
- IPM
- agricultural pests
- urban green pests
- alien arthropods
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