Entomology has a long history of rigorous and accessible investigation into the basis of insect behavior, morphology, and physiology. Today, entomologists use a variety of methods to study insects, drawing from diverse fields. More recently, in an increasing number of "non-model" insect species, chemical and genetic manipulations (e.g. pharmacology, RNAi, transgenics) are being paired with high-throughput sequencing approaches (e.g. gene expression analysis, epigenomics). Integrative studies in many insect species are also beginning to address the phylogenetic landscape and molecular basis of important insect traits, for example, the reversible transition from solitary to swarming behavior in locusts, and the evolution of eusociality in ants, bees, wasps, and termites.

Transparent experimental methods are key for clear interpretation and accurate replication of insect experiments. Behavioral studies in insects require details as to how behaviors are quantified (manually or by automated algorithms), as well as aspects of the experimental setup, such as ambient temperature and circadian cycling. Studies involving high-throughput genomics methods further require accurate description of the sample collection, laboratory wet work protocols, and tissue-specific dissection stages.

This collection will aim to use the video medium to make modern entomology studies more reproducible, accessible, and productive. We solicit submissions related to behavioral, ecological, neurobiological, and genomic studies of insects. We highlight the social insects as an area of growing interest, reflected by work on the mechanistic basis of collective behavior, and quantification of collective behavior in natural settings and/or using computational techniques.