Harnessing Neuroendocrine and Circadian Clocks in Beneficial Insects for Agricultural Chrono-Management

Abstract

Abstract Pollinators and natural enemies provide essential agricultural ecosystem services that are regulated by circadian clocks, hormones, and biogenic amines. This review synthesizes research on the integration between neuroendocrine systems and circadian clocks across different taxa, identifying both conserved regulatory mechanisms and lineage-specific adaptive traits. These multilayered interactions coordinate insect behavior, life-history development, and the alignment of insect activities with available resources. We propose agricultural chrono-management, a framework to improve ecosystem services by using targeted environmental cues to align beneficial insect activity with farming schedules. However, most evidence so far comes from the laboratory and controlled studies, and field validation remains limited. We further evaluated the feasibility, ecological risks, and climate resilience of photoperiodic regulation, nutritional modulation, and synthetic ecological interventions. Key future research priorities include multiomics integration, large-scale field validation, and predictive modeling of ecosystem services. This synthesis links molecular-level regulatory mechanisms to ecological outcomes and establishes a foundational framework for climate-resilient management of beneficial insects.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2026 · DOI ↗