Advances in insect biomonitoring for agriculture and forestry
Editors: Jordan Cuff, Allan Watt, Adam Vanbergen, Laurel Haavik & Christopher Ranger
We are excited to announce a new Special Issue in Agricultural and Forest Entomology, highlighting advances in how we monitor insects in production systems.
- Biomonitoring of insects is crucial for controlling pests and preserving the predators and pollinators that otherwise benefit our production systems.
- Emerging technologies and techniques like artificial intelligence, high-throughput DNA sequencing, semiochemical analysis and high-speed photography are enhancing our ability to detect, identify and characterise insects across a broad range of contexts.
- Integrating these technologies with traditional methods for multi-modal monitoring will be vital for enhancing biomonitoring into the future, alongside establishing and protecting long-term monitoring schemes and the expertise they depend on.
“Recent years have seen heightened interest in insect biomonitoring following increasingly frequent reports of dramatic species loss. Agriculture and forestry are ideal targets of this attention given their impact on biodiversity, but also the devastating impact of pests on our yields and our dependence on beneficial insects (e.g., pollinators, predators of pests). This special issue highlights the massive progress underway across the globe. Through these articles, it is possible to envisage the future of insect biomonitoring, which will depend on myriad technologies alongside the timeless approaches we have depended on thus far.”
– Jordan Cuff, AFE journal editor
The Editors’ graphical abstract summarises the key themes of this issue:
An overview of the advances in insect biomonitoring highlighted across the special issue
