Science AI Journal
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Research topic

Open research questions in Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior

29 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 427 Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Yet, while the molecular methods alone in these few cases revealed conflicting evidence, integrating worker gut morphology and external morphological traits allowed us to delimit 53 species consistently supported by both molecular and morphological evidence. Studies conducted in other parts of West African savannahs cannot be directly com- pared as there was no sampling area overlap, and sequence data are lacking.

    Towards consistent termite identification: a workflow and insights from West African savannah termite assemblages · 2026 · DOI

  • While this study provides valuable insights into the nesting behaviour, dietary composition, and foraging dynamics of Oecophylla longinoda across different host plants and land-use types, several limitations should be acknowledged. First, the research was conducted within a single ecological zone of the Nigerian savanna, which may restrict the generalizability of the findings to other regions with different climatic or vegetation profiles. Second, observations were limited to specific seasons, and potential seasonal variations in nest architecture, food storage, and foraging success were not fully cap- tured. Third, dietary analyses relied on food materials recovered from nests, which may not represent the com- plete spectrum of resources exploited by the ants in the field. Finally, behavioural observations were constrained by the sampling design and did not include long-term monitoring of colony dynamics, which could provide Olayemi et al. The Journal of Basic and Applied Zoology (2026) 87:64 deeper insights into resource allocation and inter-nest interactions.

    Nest building, food storage and foraging behaviours of the African weaver ant, Oecophylla longinoda (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), in relation to host plant and land-use types in a typical Guinea savannah area of North-central Nigeria · 2026 · DOI

  • Mbizi Forest Reserve lies within a zone which is known to provide high-quality honey because of a diverse vegetation composition supported by favourable climatic conditions. The United Republic of Tanzania, through the beekeeping policy, insists on bee products as a source of income for households and the nation. This paper recommends the following to TFS and the government as a whole: • Beekeepers spend most of their time viewing the the honey production suitability reserve. in • All plant species of the area should be evaluated as this study focused on higher plants only (shrubs, trees, woody climbers), while bees forage even the grasses and herbs. • Think of biodiversity assessment to record attractions and design routes ready for an ecotourism project, because the area qualifies for such activity. • Identify any local people’s groups interested in beekeeping that can be in a position to set their hives at legally demarcated sites in the reserve. • Evaluate the plant species phenology within a variety of micro-habitats of Mbizi Forest Reserve. • Plan that were found to sustainably discourage woody climbers to massively overwhelm the regeneration, in such a way that replacement of the old trees when they die will be difficult, thus reducing the shrub and tree species diversity.

    Distribution of Woody Plant Species Foraged by Stinging Honey Bee [Apis mellifera L.] and Beekeeping Intervention Possibility in Mbizi Forest Reserve · 2026 · DOI

  • Conclusion Mbizi Forest Reserve, which is under TFS, is highly potential for apiary establishment. The forest reserve is endowed with high plant species diversity existing in the montane forest area with micro-habitats of bushland, grassland, and wooded grassland that have been underutilised in terms of sustainable economic gains, such as beekeeping, and even other activities, including ecotourism. Also, abundant water streams, high security, and accessibility make the Mbizi Forest Reserve a centre for honey production to generate financial income and environmental sustainability for the benefit of the surrounding community and the nation as a whole. The presence of natural stinging honey bee colonies in standing tree holes, laying down logs, and rock caves ensures the sustainability of the beekeeping project as a source of non-vegetation removal benefit, while also accommodating honey bees, which will multiply the pollination rate for the benefit of plant species reproduction.

    Distribution of Woody Plant Species Foraged by Stinging Honey Bee [Apis mellifera L.] and Beekeeping Intervention Possibility in Mbizi Forest Reserve · 2026 · DOI

  • In such systems, the exis- tence of demand signals from larvae remains a hypothesis (Bourke and Franks 1995; Cassil and Tschinkel 1995), but the absence of recruitment means that colony-level intake is strictly limited by the sum of individual efficiencies.

    The influence of prey weight and size on prey selection by the individually foraging ant Dinoponera quadriceps · 2026 · DOI

  • While there are several factors important for identifying new nest ‘completion’, including oviposition and brood rearing, constructed nest structures, food storage and cessation of resources being carried from the parent nest (Grüter 2020), it must be acknowledged that it remains unclear if new colonies are fully independent from the parent when observable contact between the two ceases.

    Nest establishment in the Australian stingless bee Tetragonula carbonaria · 2026 · DOI

  • It was difficult to find a specific relation between the changes in 10-year annual capture numbers of the two host species and the prevalence of S. vespae, limiting understanding of the parasite's effect on host population dynamics.

    Ecology of Sphaerularia vespae, a nematode parasite that sterilizes hornets (Vespidae: Vespa): host range, geographical distribution and prevalence of parasitism · 2026 · DOI

  • We use honey bees ( Apis mellifera ) experimentally infected by two of their emerging pathogens, Deformed wing virus (DWV), which is relatively understudied concerning its behavioural impact on its host, and the exotic microsporidian Nosema ceranae .

    Parasites modulate within-colony activity and accelerate the temporal polyethism schedule of a social insect, the honey bee · 2015 · DOI

  • However, ORs tend to be expressed in a tissue-specific fashion, and the capability of dsRNA to achieve knockdown of genes exhibiting localized expression remains uncertain.

    Distribution and efficacy of ingested dsRNA targeting tissue-specific genes in the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile · 2026 · DOI

  • Although the venoms of ants, bees, and social wasps have been extensively studied, those of digger wasps remain poorly characterized in terms of their composition, molecular diversity, and biological activity.

    Integrated Venom Gland Transcriptomic and Venom Proteomic Analyses of the Digger Wasp Cerceris japonica · 2026 · DOI

  • These results are consistent with an explanation based on species-specific differences in visual attention mechanisms, and underscore the need for further research on concept learning in social bees.

    A comparison of honeybee and bumblebee performance in matching-to-sample tasks · 2026 · DOI

  • These findings underscore the need for further investigation into the regional dis- tribution and ecological roles of Lasius species, as well as the potential for uncovering additional, yet unreported species.

    Uncovering species diversity in the subgenus <i>Lasius</i> s. str. (Ruzsky, 1913): A morphological and molecular study from Bosnia and Herzegovina · 2026 · DOI

  • By characterizing the contemporary environmental niches of honeypot ants, this study establishes a baseline for further research on the evolution of repletism.

    Convergently-evolved honeypot ants show mixed signs of niche divergence · 2026 · DOI

  • The decoupling of pheromone response from internal or external conditions highlights the need for further investigation into the mechanisms regulating individual foraging decisions in social insects.

    Pheromone trail following is not modulated by previous visit to food location, distance travelled, or travel direction in the ant Lasius niger · 2026 · DOI

  • Gamergate transition is associated with sustained dueling engagement, yet the interaction networks and social dynamics that shape reproductive hierarchy formation remain unclear.

    Layered social competition coordinates reproductive hierarchy formation in ants · 2026 · DOI

  • Because the seven colonies under the fixed cadaver condition could not be evaluated for necrophoric response, the total Sum of points for resistance or tolerance alone is not directly comparable across all colonies.

    Supplementary Material from The dual strategy: resisting and tolerating pathogens in ant colonies · 2026 · DOI

  • Such drivers could include thermo- regulation, predator avoidance, and resource availabil- ity in the form of mating opportunities, but will remain unknown until future studies are conducted.

    A cuckoo slumber party? Rediscovery of Nomada (Pachynomada) asteris Swenk, 1913 (Hymenoptera: Apidae), with notes on unusual male aggregatory behavior · 2026 · DOI

  • It will be interesting, in further studies, to elucidate the parasitism of S. vespae in areas where the dominant hornet species is V. analis or the abundances are antagonistic among hornet species.

    Ecology of Sphaerularia vespae, a nematode parasite that sterilizes hornets (Vespidae: Vespa): host range, geographical distribution and prevalence of parasitism · 2026 · DOI

  • Abstract The bees of the genus Cephalotrigona (locally known as “mombucas”) play a key role in natural environments but their bioecological features, required to design proper management and conservation strategies, are scarce in most species.

    Geographic Range and Nest Architecture of <i>Cephalotrigona Capitata</i> Smith, 1854 (Apidae: Meliponini) in the State of Bahia, Northeastern Brazil · 2019 · DOI

  • Though social insects can be infected by a range of parasites, little is known of how these parasites impact within-colony behaviour and the temporal polyethism schedule.

    Parasites modulate within-colony activity and accelerate the temporal polyethism schedule of a social insect, the honey bee · 2015 · DOI

  • Though the range of queen dispersal remains to be studied, the effective size ( N e ) of bumblebees is increased by extended male mating flight ranges ( A m ) exceeding worker foraging distance by factor 1.

    Spatial and temporal dynamics of the male effective population size in bumblebees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) · 2011 · DOI

  • Although observations showing a positive relation between initial population size and establishment probability suggest that the Allee effect could be widespread in biological invasions, experimental tests are scarce.

    French wasps in the New World: experimental biological control introductions reveal a demographic Allee effect · 2009 · DOI

  • Abstract It has been argued that canopy trees in tropical rainforests harbor species‐rich ant assemblages; however, how ants partition the space on trees has not been adequately elucidated.

    Within‐tree distribution of nest sites and foraging areas of ants on canopy trees in a tropical rainforest in Borneo · 2009 · DOI

  • Additional investigation of the egg distributions in the nests showed that most eggs were kept around the royal cell, which contained the reproductives.

    Seasonal patterns of egg production in field colonies of the termite <i>Reticulitermes speratus</i> (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) · 2006 · DOI

  • This pattern suggests that when oothecae are sparsely distributed, Podagrion wasps exploit only a fraction of the oothecae available locally, even though the oothecae are strongly aggregated relative to their overall density.

    Contrasting scales of oviposition and parasitism in praying mantids · 2001 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior

Most recent work

Find a gap in your own Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior sub-topic

This page shows what the Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior literature already flags as unresolved. To narrow it to your specific question, run the guided finder — it searches the gap library on demand and checks candidates against 250M+ OpenAlex works.

Open the Research Gap Finder →

Related topics in Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Gut microbiota and health
289 open questions
Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics
185 open questions
dental development and anomalies
121 open questions
Mitochondrial Function and Pathology
110 open questions
Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
106 open questions
Human-Animal Interaction Studies
105 open questions
Genomics and Chromatin Dynamics
97 open questions
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
91 open questions
29 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 427 Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

Tools for your next paper

Gaps & Literature SearchFind open questions in any field — 120,000+ open gaps mined from our own library.Pre-CheckIs your paper ready? A Tier 1–5 acceptance probability in seconds.Journal FinderA ranked shortlist of target journals from a 17,500-venue index.Duplicate Publication CheckerCheck prior-publication & salami-slicing risk across 8 sources.Citation GeneratorFreeA DOI or title → APA, MLA, Vancouver, Chicago, BibTeX, RIS. No signup.Graphical Abstract MakerFreeTurn your findings into a colorblind-safe graphical abstract.

Compare the category — Honest roundups of the AI research tools, ours listed alongside the alternatives.

Command palette

Jump anywhere, run any action.