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Insects
Special Issues
Effects of Environmental Stress on Insects
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Effects of Environmental Stress on Insects

A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450). This special issue belongs to the section "Insect Ecology, Diversity and Conservation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2021) | Viewed by 9958

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. David Renault

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
UMR CNRS 6553 EcoBio, University of Rennes, 35000 Rennes, France
Interests: biological Invasions; polar ecology; physiological ecology; ecotoxicology; climate change; environmental stress; entomology; population biology; community ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Martin Holmstrup

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, 8600 Silkeborg, Denmark
Interests: ecophysiology of invertebrates; ecotoxicology; cold tolerance; drought tolerance; multiple stress; soil invertebrates; Collembola

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Insects must constantly deal with naturally and anthropogenically changing conditions of their environments to successfully achieve their life cycle and maintain their optimal fitness. To face the combination of environmental variables they encounter, many insects respond by plastic and/or evolutionary changes of several life traits. From this perspective, behavioral, physiological, and molecular responses represent major determinants for insects’ ability to overcome environmental variability and stress, with possible long-term consequences of these responses on the subsequent fitness of insects. In this context, we are welcoming studies investigating how organisms react and cope with natural (biotic and abiotic stressors) and man-made (pollutants, including nanoparticles, drugs, plastics) environmental variations. Studies aiming at improving our understanding of the responses of insects to ecologically realistic and/or complex multi-stress experimental protocols are particularly welcome, in addition to those investigating the physiological and molecular pathways activated by environmental stress (from the perception of the stress to the recovery and damages repair allowing for the return to homeostasis), the effects on population dynamics, geographic distribution, and insect community structure.

This Special Issue is specifically interested in original research, including modeling, reviews, and opinion articles.

Dr. David Renault
Prof. Dr. Martin Holmstrup
Guest Editors

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.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 1848 KiB  
Article
Contrasting Manual and Automated Assessment of Thermal Stress Responses and Larval Body Size in Black Soldier Flies and Houseflies
by Stine Frey Laursen, Laura Skrubbeltrang Hansen, Simon Bahrndorff, Hanne Marie Nielsen, Natasja Krog Noer, David Renault, Goutam Sahana, Jesper Givskov Sørensen and Torsten Nygaard Kristensen
Insects 2021, 12(5), 380; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12050380 - 22 Apr 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2803
Abstract
Within ecophysiological and genetic studies on insects, morphological and physiological traits are commonly assessed and phenotypes are typically obtained from manual measurements on numerous individuals. Manual observations are, however, time consuming, can introduce observer bias and are prone to human error. Here, we [...] Read more.
Within ecophysiological and genetic studies on insects, morphological and physiological traits are commonly assessed and phenotypes are typically obtained from manual measurements on numerous individuals. Manual observations are, however, time consuming, can introduce observer bias and are prone to human error. Here, we contrast results obtained from manual assessment of larval size and thermal tolerance traits in black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens) and houseflies (Musca domestica) that have been acclimated under three different temperature regimes with those obtained automatically using an image analysis software (Noldus EthoVision XT). We found that (i) larval size estimates of both species, obtained by manual weighing or by using the software, were highly correlated, (ii) measures of heat and cold tolerance using manual and automated approaches provided qualitatively similar results, and (iii) by using the software we obtained quantifiable information on stress responses and acclimation effects of potentially higher ecological relevance than the endpoint traits that are typically assessed when manual assessments are used. Based on these findings, we argue that automated assessment of insect stress responses and largescale phenotyping of morphological traits such as size will provide new opportunities within many disciplines where accurate and largescale phenotyping of insects is required. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Environmental Stress on Insects)
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22 pages, 1867 KiB  
Article
Effects of Land-Use Change on the Community Structure of the Dung Beetle (Scarabaeinae) in an Altered Ecosystem in Southern Ecuador
by Vinicio Carrión-Paladines, Andreas Fries, Andrés Muñoz, Eddy Castillo, Roberto García-Ruiz and Diego Marín-Armijos
Insects 2021, 12(4), 306; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12040306 - 30 Mar 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3271
Abstract
This study evaluated the effects of land-use change (L-UCH) on dung beetle community structure (Scarabaeinae) in a disturbed dry ecosystem in southern Ecuador. Five different L-UCH classes were analyzed by capturing the dung beetle species at each site using 120 pitfall traps in [...] Read more.
This study evaluated the effects of land-use change (L-UCH) on dung beetle community structure (Scarabaeinae) in a disturbed dry ecosystem in southern Ecuador. Five different L-UCH classes were analyzed by capturing the dung beetle species at each site using 120 pitfall traps in total. To determine dung beetle abundance and diversity at each L-UCH, a general linear model (GLM) and a redundancy analysis (RDA) were applied, which correlated environmental and edaphic conditions to the community structure. Furthermore, changes in dung-producing vertebrate fauna were examined, which varied significantly between the different L-UCH classes due to the specific anthropogenic use or level of ecosystem disturbance. The results indicated that soil organic matter, pH, potassium, and phosphorus (RDA: component 1), as well as temperature and altitude (RDA: component 2) significantly affect the abundance of beetles (GLM: p value < 0.001), besides the food availability (dung). The highest abundance and diversity (Simpson’s index > 0.4, Shannon-Wiener index > 1.10) was found in highly disturbed sites, where soils were generally more compacted, but with a greater food supply due to the introduced farm animals. At highly disturbed sites, the species Canthon balteatus, Dichotomius problematicus, and Onthphagus confuses were found specifically, which makes them useful as bio-indicators for disturbed dry forest ecosystems in southern Ecuador. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Environmental Stress on Insects)
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15 pages, 2093 KiB  
Article
Diapause Regulation in Newly Invaded Environments: Termination Timing Allows Matching Novel Climatic Constraints in the Box Tree Moth, Cydalima perspectalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)
by Laura Poitou, Audrey Bras, Patrick Pineau, Philippe Lorme, Alain Roques, Jérôme Rousselet, Marie-Anne Auger-Rozenberg and Mathieu Laparie
Insects 2020, 11(9), 629; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects11090629 - 12 Sep 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2728
Abstract
The association between indirect environmental cues that modulate insect diapause and the actual stressors is by no means granted when a species encounters new environments. The box tree moth, Cydalima perspectalis, is an Asian pest whose rapid invasion in Europe causes considerable [...] Read more.
The association between indirect environmental cues that modulate insect diapause and the actual stressors is by no means granted when a species encounters new environments. The box tree moth, Cydalima perspectalis, is an Asian pest whose rapid invasion in Europe causes considerable economic and ecological impacts. Larvae enter a winter diapause induced by the photoperiod in both native and invaded ranges, but factors that trigger the return to an active phase are still unknown. Yet, identifying them is crucial to understand how diapause end synchronizes with the end of the winter stress encountered in Europe. To test whether activity resumption is regulated by thermal and/or photoperiodic thresholds, or additive effects between these factors often involved in diapause termination, diapausing caterpillars from an invaded area were exposed to crossed treatments at the laboratory. The evolution of diapause rate was monitored over time and compared to that of nearby field sites invaded. A strong positive effect of increasing temperature was found on the rate and dynamics of diapause termination, whereas no compelling effect of photoperiod appeared. Resuming development directly when main stressors fade, not in response to indirect photoperiodic cues that could be mismatched outside native areas, likely contributes to the good match observed between diapause and the new climates that this pest encountered in the invaded range. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of Environmental Stress on Insects)
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