Insects are highly adaptable and plastic. They respond rapidly to biotic and abiotic factors, such as trying to escape predation by natural enemies, avoiding e.g. overheating or toxic environments, and approaching food and potential mates. However, there are more complex effects behind such straightforward responses, especially when receiving a continuous negative signal in their habitat. For example, aphids are not only repelled by alarm pheromone (acute effect) but also stimulated to increase the proportion of winged offspring (chronic effect). Insecticides are deleterious (acute effect), but at sublethal doses accelerate the development of drug resistance, as well as regulate the sex ratio of insect populations (chronic effects). Non-preference food generally has an anti-feeding effect in larvae (acute effect) but promotes adults to emerge as soon as possible by shortening developmental duration.
The development of science and technology has allowed, to discover novel and complex mechanisms of adaptability and plasticity in both non-model and model insects, revealing mechanisms of a divergent and rapid evolution of insect taxa. By studying the physiology of acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) responses of insects to stimuli from biotic (intraspecific or interspecific) and ecological factors including biotic factors, detailed mechanisms of high plasticity and adaptation among insect species can be revealed. These are essential for further exploration of the rapid evolutionary context of insect species diversity and taxa. In addition, the understanding of the plasticity of responses of various insects has received substantial attention as an important prerequisite for pest prevention and control, while favouring at the same time the efficient use of natural enemies.
This Research Topic is devoted to revealing plasticity in the long and short-term responses of various insect species to external stimuli. Both original research and review papers that fit the topic are warmly welcomed. Manuscripts related to the following fields are welcomed, but not limited to:
- Olfactory plasticity
- Phenotypic plasticity
- Adaptation among plant-pest-natural enemies
- Adaptation to various abiotic factors such as climate change, cultivation, and chemicals
Insects are highly adaptable and plastic. They respond rapidly to biotic and abiotic factors, such as trying to escape predation by natural enemies, avoiding e.g. overheating or toxic environments, and approaching food and potential mates. However, there are more complex effects behind such straightforward responses, especially when receiving a continuous negative signal in their habitat. For example, aphids are not only repelled by alarm pheromone (acute effect) but also stimulated to increase the proportion of winged offspring (chronic effect). Insecticides are deleterious (acute effect), but at sublethal doses accelerate the development of drug resistance, as well as regulate the sex ratio of insect populations (chronic effects). Non-preference food generally has an anti-feeding effect in larvae (acute effect) but promotes adults to emerge as soon as possible by shortening developmental duration.
The development of science and technology has allowed, to discover novel and complex mechanisms of adaptability and plasticity in both non-model and model insects, revealing mechanisms of a divergent and rapid evolution of insect taxa. By studying the physiology of acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) responses of insects to stimuli from biotic (intraspecific or interspecific) and ecological factors including biotic factors, detailed mechanisms of high plasticity and adaptation among insect species can be revealed. These are essential for further exploration of the rapid evolutionary context of insect species diversity and taxa. In addition, the understanding of the plasticity of responses of various insects has received substantial attention as an important prerequisite for pest prevention and control, while favouring at the same time the efficient use of natural enemies.
This Research Topic is devoted to revealing plasticity in the long and short-term responses of various insect species to external stimuli. Both original research and review papers that fit the topic are warmly welcomed. Manuscripts related to the following fields are welcomed, but not limited to:
- Olfactory plasticity
- Phenotypic plasticity
- Adaptation among plant-pest-natural enemies
- Adaptation to various abiotic factors such as climate change, cultivation, and chemicals
