New Phytologist· 2026Q1
Frenemies forever: when parasitic fungi become an insect's secret weapon
- 0citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Insect-associated fungi, previously viewed as pathogens, can act as beneficial symbionts, enabling hosts to adapt and thrive, offering novel pest control strategies.
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Key points
- Insect-associated fungi can function as beneficial symbionts, not just pathogens.
- These fungal symbionts help insects adapt and thrive in changing environments.
- Understanding these interactions is crucial for developing novel pest control strategies.
- Fungal symbionts are less studied than bacterial symbionts in insects.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Summary Plant‐feeding insects pose a major threat to global food production, and finding sustainable pest control strategies is challenging. Insect‐associated symbiotic microorganisms fulfill important beneficial functions for their host insects, enabling them to adapt and thrive in a changing environment. Understanding how these interactions evolve and what they mean for insect–plant interactions is key to the development of novel targets and potential tools for pest control. Since yeast and fungal insect symbionts are understudied in comparison to bacterial symbionts, this Tansley Insight explores their role in insect–plant interactions.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. New Phytologist, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Insect Science
Insect ScienceAgricultural and Biological Sciences