About the Journal

The Journal of Insect Science is an open access, peer-reviewed journal covering all fields of entomology. It is published bimonthly in February, April, June, August, October, and December. The journal publishes articles based on original, unpublished research, as well as Reviews, interpretive articles in a Forum section, Short Communications, and Letters to the Editor. The Journal of Insect Science accepts null/negative data that has been appropriately replicated. Manuscripts that are primarily descriptive (i.e., not addressing a hypothesis or scientific question), reports of new species or single species biology without management aspects, or vectors of pathogens causing diseases in humans or animals may not be accepted and may be referred to another ESA journal. The Journal of Insect Science uses a double-anonymous (double-blind) review process.

What does double-anonymous (double-blind) peer review mean? 

Neither the authors nor the reviewers know each other’s identities, which serves to reduce potential bias in the typical peer-review process. To accomplish this, authors must submit a page with authors listed, affiliations, and acknowledgements in a separate file that reviewers will not see. The manuscript must be anonymized by removing all language and/or references to ‘our previous study’ or other language that could be self-identifying. For further information read an editorial from the Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Phyllis G. Weintraub: Celebrating 20 Years of the Journal of Insect Science and Introducing More Equitable Peer Review.

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Special Collections

The Journal of Insect Science has published several Special Collections and is open to proposals for additional topics and welcomes guest editors for such collections.

The subject areas of accepted manuscripts includes, but are not limited to: 

• Apiculture & Social Insects: multiple aspects of bee management (both social and solitary), including but not limited to pollination, pathology, IPM, toxicology, genetics and breeding, and behavior.  Also other social insects, such as ants, wasps and termites.
• Arthropods in Relation to Plant Pathogens: The transmission of pathogens within plant communities that has broad environmental and ecological effects.  Investigations into the specific relationships between each component (the plant, insect, and pathogen) as well as studies at the systems level will be accepted.
• Beneficial Uses of Insects: For example, silk [sericulture], biopharmaceuticals, food or feed (e.g. entomophagy), decomposition of wastes (e.g. bioconversion and bioremediation), and other uses. Submissions describing production, applications and environmental benefits of these and related topics are welcome. Manuscripts utilizing only ‘petri dish-type’ trials without environmental validation will not be accepted.
• Biological & Microbial Control:  Biological control of pests utilizing predators, parasitoids and microbial agents (e.g. entomopathogenic bacteria, fungi, nematodes, and viruses) solely or in integrated pest management systems. Manuscripts utilizing only ‘petri dish-type’ trials without greenhouse or field validation will not be accepted.
• Climate Change:  Direct effects of climate change on arthropods, and indirect effects on management stemming from disruptions of the ecosystem, changes in pests and pest management associated with modifications to agro-ecosystems and surrounding landscape, or other practices made in response to climate change. The research can be field or modeling-based.
• Arthropod (Bio-)Diversity: Studies on the biodiversity of any group(s) in different ecological areas that contribute to understanding a hypothesis or scientific question, not just a descriptive manuscript of the diversity in an area.
• Ecology & Behavior: This includes aspects of dispersal/movement, host finding, orientation to semiochemicals, or acoustic signals, host and other trophic interactions, phenology, and ecological modeling of arthropods. 
• Field, Forage, & Horticultural Crops: This includes papers on field, forage-based and horticultural cropping systems grown across multiple geographic areas and landscapes on basic ecology, management, sampling, and thresholds of associated insect and arthropod pests and beneficial species.  
• Forest Entomology: Appropriate submissions include studies relevant to management, including management-themed studies in population, community, and landscape ecology, life history strategies, ecosystem impacts, interactions with abiotic and biotic disturbances, monitoring, and management strategies of native and non-native arthropod species. 
• Insect Biomechanics: This is an interdisciplinary field (physics, engineering, and material sciences) that inspires the development of new technologies (including robots), and provides insights into physiology, neuroscience and ecology.
• Insect-Plant Interactions: Studies that identify all forms of insect-plant interactions, plant resistant to arthropods, characterize responses, elucidate the underlying mechanisms of interactions, and determine the genetic basis of interactions. This also includes studies on identification of biotypes and the use of resistant varieties in the integrated management of arthropods.
• Insects for Food & Feed: Submissions on current state of research, nutritional aspects for human and animal consumption, use in aquaculture, and all related fields are welcome.
• Insecticide Toxicology & Resistance: Evolution, ecology, physiology, biochemistry, toxicology, genetics and molecular biology of resistance. Manuscripts utilizing only ‘petri dish-type’ trials without greenhouse or field validation will not be accepted.
• Mass Rearing & Insect Diets: Submission on mass production for sterile insect technique (SIT), parasitoid and predators, dietary and nutritional requirements of insects, and for research on agricultural and medical pests are welcome.
• Molecular Entomology: This section covers genetics, genomics, molecular biology, of invasive or native species; description of genes or genes families relevant to management; gene expression, qPCR, and RNAseq experiments; population genomics describing movement and distribution of invasive or native species; and gene editing, RNAi and other functional genomic studies. Submissions can include both basic and applied research. 
• Morphology, anatomy, and sensory structures: These include biological structures and the relationships in structures within a particular organism as well as among organisms, the external appearance or features such as color, shape, size, rigidity, and other physical properties. These studies could be on a macroscopic or microscopic level but must include some manipulation of the organism, comparisons among various life stages or groups, show that the sensory structure is novel, or that the processing methods are unique.  Manuscripts simply using SEM or other to identify known sensory structures without new or additional information will not be considered.
• Protocols: Increasingly new protocols are being developed for many aspects of entomology, but often these protocols do not allow direct comparison of results because of the protocol differences.  Submissions comparing protocols in all aspects of entomology, delineating strengths and weakness of each, are welcome.
• Urban and Post-harvest Pests: This includes all aspects of the biology and management of insects and other arthropods found in and around dwellings and commercial structures including all post-harvest agricultural products that are durable and thus can be stored without refrigeration for months or years.  Submission may include those on the biology and management of arthropods, alternative management tactics and strategies. Manuscripts utilizing only ‘petri dish-type’ trials without greenhouse or field validation will not be accepted.
• Student Debates: A recap of student debates held at the ESA Annual Meeting.

Key Metrics

*Source: Journal Impact Factor™, from Clarivate, 2024