Insect Ecology

Insects represent a highly important component of ecosystems, both natural and agricultural. Most species of wild plants, as well as crops used for food production worldwide, depend on insect pollination. The varying levels of specialization among different insect groups make them significant for the environment, but also potentially economically important. In addition to contributing to agricultural productivity, insects can serve as bioindicators of habitat quality and environmental changes, and they also play a role in the decomposition of organic matter. Some groups of insects are pests, while others are beneficial in the biological control of pests or weeds. Considering the great importance and diversity of insect roles, our focus is on the synergy between fundamental research in insect ecology and applied entomology.