Abstract:  As one of the important branches of entomology, insect development and immunity, facing the national demand and scientific frontier, has made great achievements in solving major pest disasters and human health through multidimensional research. Meanwhile, the progress of new biotechnology has greatly promoted the research of insect development and immunity by deepening and widening our understanding of insect development and immune defense. Articles in this special issue of “Insect growth and development and immunity” reflect well the current status and features of research on insect development and immune in China. The growth and development part covers all developmental stages from egg to adult, mainly focusing on the signal transduction, and the immunity part focuses on biological interactions. In the context of big data, more efforts will be made to combine traditional and modern techniques, and strengthen cooperation, thus making the research branch play a greater role in pest control, insect resource utilization, and food security.

Key words:  Insect, growth and development, immunity, signal transduction, transcriptional factor, immune interaction