Diet, Nutrition and Insect Responses to Environmental Change

Human activities are changing the global environment with consequences for other living organisms. In the case of insects, the climate crisis has contributed to habitat loss, emergence of invasive species and diseases, and increased insecticide use and pollution, resulting in declines in abundance, changing geographic ranges, life cycle mismatches with host phenology, and extinctions. The extent to which individual species are affected by these challenges depends on their responses and capacity to tolerate different environmental stressors. Nutrients contained in insect diets affect traits that can improve tolerance of stressful conditions. Diet affects the resources available for body maintenance and development but there is considerable evidence for effects on thermal tolerance and desiccation resistance as well. Whether these effects result from an increase in stored nutrients, improved synthesis of beneficial products, or other mechanisms are topics of current research.

The aim of this Research Topic is to explore the ways in which diet, and nutrient intake and storage, shape the capacity of insects to respond to changing environments in a world dominated by human activities. Responses can involve expression of behavioral, morphological and physiological traits as well as the underlying molecular processes.

This Research Topic welcomes several types of articles, including: original research, opinion, perspective, editorial, mini-review, and review articles that examine any aspect of diet and nutrition mediating insect responses in a changing world. Contributions can include those with implications for insect pest management but this should not be the main emphasis. Potential contributions could include, but are not limited to:

- Nutritional optima for expression of traits relevant to changing environments
- Basal phenotypes and their plasticity associated with dietary or nutrient intake
- Selective metabolism of nutrients to adapt to varied conditions
- Dietary and nutritional effects on biosynthesis of molecules
- Interactions of dietary intake, foraging and microhabitat use
- Changes in host breadth or host race evolution and their fitness consequences
- Changes in the quality of natural diets due to environmental stress and how this may trigger adaptation or tolerance mechanisms in consumers
- Roles of diet and nutrient intake in shaping species geographic ranges or refining species distribution models