Insects are a group of abundant and diverse organisms that have successfully adapted to the most challenging conditions on earth. The success of insects in adverse environments indicates the advanced defense mechanisms employed by these organisms, but they are often targeted by specialized microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, nematodes, & fungi) and parasitoids. Insects exhibit both humoral and cellular immune responses against pathogens. The lack of an adaptive immune system has compelled insects to choose immediate non-specific but sophisticated responses that include the production of antimicrobial peptides, phenoloxidase, apoptosis, phagocytosis, encapsulation, and nodulation. In recent decades, technological advances have been made in decrypting the molecular and mechanistic basis of insect immunity. However, there is a need to understand the insect immune responses to single or mixed encounters. Future challenges include a better understanding of functional cooperation of various endosymbiotic microbes and their role in insect defenses. Post-transcriptional modulation of immune responses regulated by non-coding RNAs (microRNA & long non-coding RNAs) has become critically important to study by using modern bioinformatics and experimental tools. Therefore, investigating the dynamics of insect immune responses will substantially increase the capacity for confronting harmful agricultural and medical pests. Furthermore, most insect cellular immune activities have been conducted in a laboratory setting, therefore confirming the existing knowledge in a natural environment would provide crucial information.

Encyclopedia of Virology, Fourth Edition, Five Volume Set builds on the solid foundation laid by the previous editions, expanding its reach with new and timely topics. In five volumes, the work provides comprehensive coverage of the whole virosphere, making this a unique resource. Content explores viruses present in the environment and the pathogenic viruses of humans, animals, plants and microorganisms. Key areas and concepts concerning virus classification, structure, epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and prevention are discussed, guiding the reader through chapters that are presented at an accessible level, and include further readings for those needing more specific information. More than ever now, with the Covid19 pandemic, we are seeing the huge impact viruses have on our life and society. This encyclopedia is a must-have resource for scientists and practitioners, and a great source of information for the wider public. Offers students and researchers a one-stop shop for information on virology not easily available elsewhere Fills a critical gap of information in a field that has seen significant progress in recent years Authored and edited by recognized experts in the field, with a range of different expertise, thus ensuring a high-quality standard

(A) Figure from "Chami Kim-Jo, Jean-Luc Gatti and Marylène Poirié (2019). Drosophila Cellular Immunity Against Parasitoid Wasps: A Complex and Time-Dependent Process. Front. Physiol. 10:603. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00603" (B) Figure from “Giuseppe Bari, Andrea Scala, Vita Garzone, Rosanna Salvia, Cem Yalcin, Pasqua Vernile, Antonella Maria Aresta, Osvaldo Facini, Rita Baraldi, Sabino A. Bufo, Heiko Vogel, Enrico de Lillo, Francesca Rapparini and Patrizia Falabella (2019). Chemical Ecology of Capnodis tenebrionis (L.) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae): Behavioral and Biochemical Strategies for Intraspecific and Host Interactions. Front. Physiol. 10:604. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00604" (C) Figure from “Rosanna Salvia, Annalisa Grimaldi, Rossana Girardello, Carmen Scieuzo, Andrea Scala, Sabino A. Bufo, Heiko Vogel and Patrizia Falabella (2019). Aphidius ervi Teratocytes Release Enolase and Fatty Acid Binding Protein Through Exosomal Vesicles. Front. Physiol. 10:715. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00715" (D) Figure from “Mariangela Coppola, Gianfranco Diretto, Maria Cristina Digilio, Sheridan Lois Woo, Giovanni Giuliano, Donata Molisso, Francesco Pennacchio, Matteo Lorito and Rosa Rao (2019). Transcriptome and Metabolome Reprogramming in Tomato Plants by Trichoderma harzianum strain T22 Primes and Enhances Defense Responses Against Aphids. Front. Physiol. 10:745. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00745" (E) Figure from “Rosanna Salvia, Marisa Nardiello, Carmen Scieuzo, Andrea Scala, Sabino A. Bufo, Asha Rao, Heiko Vogel and Patrizia Falabella (2018). Novel Factors of Viral Origin Inhibit TOR Pathway Gene Expression X. Front. Physiol. 9:1678. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2018.01678" (F) Figure from “Sébastien Cambier, Olivia Ginis, Sébastien J. M. Moreau, Philippe Gayral, Jack Hearn, Graham N. Stone, David Giron, Elisabeth Huguet and Jean-Michel Drezen (2019). Gall Wasp Transcriptomes Unravel Potential Effectors Involved in Molecular Dialogues With Oak and Rose. Front. Physiol. 10:926. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00926" (G) Figure from “Mariangela Coppola, Gianfranco Diretto, Maria Cristina Digilio, Sheridan Lois Woo, Giovanni Giuliano, Donata Molisso, Francesco Pennacchio, Matteo Lorito and Rosa Rao (2019). Transcriptome and Metabolome Reprogramming in Tomato Plants by Trichoderma harzianum strain T22 Primes and Enhances Defense Responses Against Aphids. Front. Physiol. 10:745. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00745" (H) Figure from “Zbigniew Adamski, Sabino A. Bufo, Szymon Chowański, Patrizia Falabella, Jan Lubawy, Paweł Marciniak, Joanna Pacholska-Bogalska, Rosanna Salvia, Laura Scrano, Małgorzata Słocińska, Marta Spochacz, Monika Szymczak, Arkadiusz Urbański, Karolina Walkowiak-Nowicka and Grzegorz Rosiński (2019). Beetles as Model Organisms in Physiological, Biomedical and Environmental Studies – A Review. Front. Physiol. 10:319. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00319" (I) Figure from “Surapathrudu Kanakala, Svetlana Kontsedalov, Galina Lebedev and Murad Ghanim (2019). Plant-Mediated Silencing of the Whitefly Bemisia tabaci Cyclophilin B and Heat Shock Protein 70 Impairs Insect Development and Virus Transmission. Front. Physiol. 10:557. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00557" (J) Figure from “Rosanna Salvia, Annalisa Grimaldi, Rossana Girardello, Carmen Scieuzo, Andrea Scala, Sabino A. Bufo, Heiko Vogel and Patrizia Falabella (2019). Aphidius ervi Teratocytes Release Enolase and Fatty Acid Binding Protein Through Exosomal Vesicles. Front. Physiol. 10:715. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00715" (K) Figure from “Lin Quan Ge, Sui Zheng, Hao Tian Gu, Yong Kai Zhou, Ze Zhou, Qi Sheng Song and David Stanley (2019). Jinggangmycin-Induced UDP-Glycosyltransferase 1-2-Like is a Positive Modulator of Fecundity and Population Growth in Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae). Front. Physiol. 10:747. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00747 " (L) Figure from “Zbigniew Adamski, Sabino A. Bufo, Szymon Chowański, Patrizia Falabella, Jan Lubawy, Paweł Marciniak, Joanna Pacholska-Bogalska, Rosanna Salvia, Laura Scrano, Małgorzata Słocińska, Marta Spochacz, Monika Szymczak, Arkadiusz Urbański, Karolina Walkowiak-Nowicka and Grzegorz Rosiński (2019). Beetles as Model Organisms in Physiological, Biomedical and Environmental Studies – A Review. Front. Physiol. 10:319. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00319" (M) Figure from “Sébastien Cambier, Olivia Ginis, Sébastien J. M. Moreau, Philippe Gayral, Jack Hearn, Graham N. Stone, David Giron, Elisabeth Huguet and Jean-Michel Drezen (2019). Gall Wasp Transcriptomes Unravel Potential Effectors Involved in Molecular Dialogues With Oak and Rose. Front. Physiol. 10:926. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00926" (N) Figure from “Gianandrea Salerno, Francesca Frati, Eric Conti, Ezio Peri, Stefano Colazza and Antonino Cusumano (2019). Mating Status of an Herbivorous Stink Bug Female Affects the Emission of Oviposition-Induced Plant Volatiles Exploited by an Egg Parasitoid. Front. Physiol. 10:398. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00398" (O) Figure from “Marisa Skaljac, Heiko Vogel, Natalie Wielsch, Sanja Mihajlovic and Andreas Vilcinskas (2019). Transmission of a Protease-Secreting Bacterial Symbiont Among Pea Aphids via Host Plants. Front. Physiol. 10:438. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00438" (P) Figure from “Alberto Santini and Andrea Battisti (2019). Complex Insect–Pathogen Interactions in Tree Pandemics. Front. Physiol. 10:550. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00550" (Q) Figure from “Surapathrudu Kanakala, Svetlana Kontsedalov, Galina Lebedev and Murad Ghanim (2019). Plant-Mediated Silencing of the Whitefly Bemisia tabaci Cyclophilin B and Heat Shock Protein 70 Impairs Insect Development and Virus Transmission. Front. Physiol. 10:557. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00557" (R) Figure from “Rosanna Salvia, Marisa Nardiello, Carmen Scieuzo, Andrea Scala, Sabino A. Bufo, Asha Rao, Heiko Vogel and Patrizia Falabella (2018). Novel Factors of Viral Origin Inhibit TOR Pathway Gene Expression X. Front. Physiol. 9:1678. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2018.01678" (S) Figure from “Sébastien Cambier, Olivia Ginis, Sébastien J. M. Moreau, Philippe Gayral, Jack Hearn, Graham N. Stone, David Giron, Elisabeth Huguet and Jean-Michel Drezen (2019). Gall Wasp Transcriptomes Unravel Potential Effectors Involved in Molecular Dialogues With Oak and Rose. Front. Physiol. 10:926. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00926" (T) Figure from “Gong Chen, Qi Su, Xiaobin Shi, Huipeng Pan, Xiaoguo Jiao and Youjun Zhang (2018). Persistently Transmitted Viruses Restrict the Transmission of Other Viruses by Affecting Their Vectors. Front. Physiol. 9:1348. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2018.01348" (U) Figure from “Giuseppe Bari, Andrea Scala, Vita Garzone, Rosanna Salvia, Cem Yalcin, Pasqua Vernile, Antonella Maria Aresta, Osvaldo Facini, Rita Baraldi, Sabino A. Bufo, Heiko Vogel, Enrico de Lillo, Francesca Rapparini and Patrizia Falabella (2019). Chemical Ecology of Capnodis tenebrionis (L.) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae): Behavioral and Biochemical Strategies for Intraspecific and Host Interactions. Front. Physiol. 10:604. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00604" (V) Figure from “Giuseppe Bari, Andrea Scala, Vita Garzone, Rosanna Salvia, Cem Yalcin, Pasqua Vernile, Antonella Maria Aresta, Osvaldo Facini, Rita Baraldi, Sabino A. Bufo, Heiko Vogel, Enrico de Lillo, Francesca Rapparini and Patrizia Falabella (2019). Chemical Ecology of Capnodis tenebrionis (L.) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae): Behavioral and Biochemical Strategies for Intraspecific and Host Interactions. Front. Physiol. 10:604. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00604" (W) Figure from “Surapathrudu Kanakala, Svetlana Kontsedalov, Galina Lebedev and Murad Ghanim (2019). Plant-Mediated Silencing of the Whitefly Bemisia tabaci Cyclophilin B and Heat Shock Protein 70 Impairs Insect Development and Virus Transmission. Front. Physiol. 10:557. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00557" (X) Figure from “Gianandrea Salerno, Francesca Frati, Eric Conti, Ezio Peri, Stefano Colazza and Antonino Cusumano (2019). Mating Status of an Herbivorous Stink Bug Female Affects the Emission of Oviposition-Induced Plant Volatiles Exploited by an Egg Parasitoid. Front. Physiol. 10:398. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.00398"

This book aims to present updated knowledge on various aspects of the natural history, biology, and impact of triatomines to all interested readers. Each chapter will be written by authorities in the respective field, covering topics such as behavior, neurophysiology, immunology, ecology, and evolution. The contents will consider scientific, as well as innovative perspectives, on the problems related to the role of triatomine bugs as parasite vectors affecting millions in the Latin American region.

Parasitoids are parasitic insects that kill their insect hosts in immature pre-reproductive stages. Parasitoids are employed in biological control programs worldwide to kill insect pests and are environmentally safe and benign alternatives to chemical pesticides. As resistance to chemical pesticides continues to escalate in many pest populations, attention is now refocusing on biologically-based strategies to control pest species in agriculture and forestry as well as insect vector populations that transmit human and animal diseases. Parasitoids are an economically critical element in this equation and 'integrated pest management.' Viruses have evolved intimate associations with parasitoids, and this book features sections on both symbiotic viruses that are integrated into the wasp's chromosomal DNA (polydnaviruses) that play critical roles in suppressing host immunity during parasitism. A separate section with additional chapters on viral pathogens that infect parasitoids to cause disease and act as detrimental agents that limit effectiveness of wasp species employed in biological control of pests is also featured. A third component is a section on parasitoid venoms, which are of interest to the pharmaceutical and medical communities as well as insect-oriented biologists. Sections focus on both virus evolution and genomics as well as proteomics and functional roles of polydnavirus-encoded gene products International researchers and emerging leaders in their fields provide readers with syntheses of the latest research Includes content on both symbiotic viruses and pathogenic viruses, plus new research on parasitoid venoms Cutting-edge section on future directions in the field covers the impacts of polydnavirus research on medicine, human health, bioengineering and the economy, increasing the value for researchers and practitioners who need to stay on top of the research in this swiftly moving field

Biocontrol is among the most promising methods for a safe, environmentally benign and sustainable pest control. Microbial pesticides offer a great potential, and it is anticipated that they will become a substantial part of the use of all crop protection products. Their development and commercialization, however, has been difficult and with many failures. In this book a rational and structured roadmap has been designed for the development and commercialization of microbial pest control products for the control of arthropod pests. The building blocks of the entire process are identified and essential aspects highlighted. Biopesticides based on entomopathogenic bacteria, fungi, viruses and nematodes are elaborately discussed. This systematic roadmap with a strong focus on economics and market introduction will assist academic researchers and industrial developers of biopesticides in accomplishing their goal: the development of successful cost-effective microbial pesticides.

Insects display a staggering diversity of behaviors. Studying these systems provides insights into a wide range of ecological, evolutionary, and behavioral questions including the genetics of behavior, phenotypic plasticity, chemical communication, and the evolution of life-history traits. This accessible text offers a new approach that provides the reader with the necessary theoretical and conceptual foundations, at different hierarchical levels, to understand insect behavior. The book is divided into three main sections: mechanisms, ecological and evolutionary consequences, and applied issues. The final section places the preceding chapters within a framework of current threats to human survival - climate change, disease, and food security - before providing suggestions and insights as to how we can utilize an understanding of insect behavior to control and/or ameliorate them. Each chapter provides a concise, authoritative review of the conceptual, theoretical, and methodological foundations of each topic.

Nematode worms are among the most ubiquitous organisms on earth. They include free-living forms as well as parasites of plants, insects, humans and other animals. In recent years there has been an explosion of interest in nematode biology, including the area of nematode behaviour. The latter has, however, until now, not been synthesized into a single comprehensive volume.Nematode Behaviour seeks to redress this imbalance by providing the first comprehensive review of current knowledge of the behaviour of nematodes. Key topics including locomotion and orientation, feeding and reproductive behaviour, and biotic and abiotic interactions are reviewed by leading authorities from the USA, UK, India and New Zealand.

Their natural enemies largely determine the population size and dynamic behavior of many plant-eating insects. Any reduction in enemy number can result in an insect outbreak. Applied biological control is thus one strategy for restoring functional biodiversity in many agroecosystems. Predators and Parasitoids addresses the role of natural enemies i