Ecological Entomology – leading ecology into the 21st Century? Twenty‐five years of excellence in perspective

The journal Ecological Entomology was founded in 1976, replacing the old Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society ( Leather, 1996), although ecologically inclined entomologists had been publishing very successfully in the general ecological journals since their foundations in the early 20th Century. The purpose of the new journal was to raise the profile of the Royal Entomological Society's publications and to provide a more specialist forum for entomologists around the world. At the time there were many more Entomology Departments and courses than there are now. In the U.K., for example, there is now only one degree in entomology and that is at M.Sc. level, and a small number of entomology courses offered as parts of biology and zoology degrees at undergraduate level in some university departments. In other countries, e.g. the U.S.A., the situation is somewhat more hopeful, with not only entomology degrees available but also many Entomology Departments still to be found in a number of universities. Entomologists, however, like insects, are highly adaptable creatures and have managed to continue to ply their trade and prosper, albeit under a variety of guises. Many scientists working with insects today would hesitate to describe themselves as entomologists ( Hunter, 2000). This adaptability has allowed them to publish the results of their research in a number of fora around the world. Ecological Entomology has undergone some cosmetic changes, going from a fairly plain cover in 1976 to the current illustrated cover. At the same time it has increased its dimensions. The number of pages rose from 300 in 1976 to over 500 in 1991, falling to approximately 400 in 1992 when the page size was increased, but has now reached 500 pages once more. For the first 20 years of the new journal, the average number of pages per paper fell ( Fig. 1) (the sharp decline in 1992 is an artefact caused by the change in journal format), perhaps representing the chase for least publishable units rather than a more succinct writing style! Since then, however, the average size of papers has crept up again, and in 1999 jumped hugely to almost 8.5 pages per paper. Mean number of pages per paper published in Ecological Entomology 1976–99. Ecological Entomology has had five changes of editor since its inception, from very different areas of entomology. The first editor appointed was Trevor Lewis, an agricultural entomologist, followed by John Lawton, an ecologist with very wide ranging interests indeed, Ernie Pollard, a butterfly ecologist, Mike Begon and Dave Thompson, both ecologists with interests in the interactions between insects and their natural enemies, and most recently Simon Leather, an ecologist whose research lies in the areas of insect–plant interactions and biological control. John Lawton and Dave Thompson both have a love of the Odonata. A range of research areas has therefore had the potential to be favoured by particular editors. In this article I address two main questions: did the creation of Ecological Entomology meet the expectations of the Royal Entomological Society in providing an international forum for research worldwide, and have the changes in editors been reflected in the subject matter of the journal or has the journal mirrored the changes in ecology? The answer to the first question is an emphatic yes. Ecological Entomology is regarded as the premier journal of its kind worldwide. Its impact factor has risen from 0.9 in 1993 to 1.82 in 1999. It is listed in the top 10 entomological journals, being beaten regularly only by the review journals such as Annual Review of Entomology, and coming in 5th in 1998 and 1999. Since 1976, authors (first authors only used) from 41 countries have published their papers in Ecological Entomology. In 1976, only eight countries were represented and 70% of the papers originated from the U.K. Since then the number of authors from different countries has risen steadily ( Fig. 2) and the proportion of British authors has fallen concomitantly, now accounting for only 25% of papers. In the same period, the proportion of authors publishing from addresses in the U.S.A. has risen from under 10% to over 30% ( Fig. 3). Ecological Entomology is certainly not a parochial journal. After the U.S.A. and U.K., the countries featuring most often in authors' addresses are Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, South Africa, Japan, Sweden and Israel. Number of countries represented by first authors published in Ecological Entomology 1976–99. The relative numbers of papers published in Ecological Entomology 1976–99, with addresses in the U.K. and U.S.A. Have there been shifts in the groups of organisms studied by ecological entomologists over the last two decades, as indicated by the main thrust of the papers? Six insect orders are represented more than any other: in descending order they are the Lepidoptera (21% of all papers published), Hymenoptera – mainly ants and parasitic wasps (21%), Hemiptera – mainly Homoptera (14%), Diptera – mainly Drosophila and mosquitoes (14%), Coleoptera (14%), and Orthoptera (3%). These relative proportions have remained virtually the same since 1976 ( Fig. 4). Main orders of insect represented in papers published in Ecological Entomology 1976–99. Where there have been changes is in the subject areas studied by ecological entomologists ( Figs 5 and 6). Papers describing new methods or equipment have fallen greatly and population biology studies, i.e. life cycles and fluctuations with no mechanistic explanations, have largely been replaced by papers on population dynamics. Papers dealing with the distribution and abundance of insects have also fallen in number, but those that still appear deal more with migration, dispersal and species-richness than with occurrence. Papers dealing with species-area relationships enjoyed a vogue during the 1980s as they did in all ecological journals. On the other hand, insect–plant interaction papers, which rose to prominence at the same time, have continued to dominate the pages of the journal, accounting for 15% of all papers published since 1976 ( Fig. 5). The majority of papers published deal with the behavioural ecology of insects (25%), be it pollination studies, oviposition preferences, or interactions among predators, parasites and their prey at the individual level ( Fig. 6). The influence of predators and parasites on insect populations has always had a place in ecological studies, and papers covering this aspect of ecology continue to hold their place in Ecological Entomology. Papers dealing with pest insects and/or their control have remained at a fairly constant 10% throughout the life of the journal. Basic biological papers have been replaced by papers dealing with trade-offs between various life-history parameters, and genetic studies have appeared on the scene since the mid 1980s. Papers dealing directly with competition began to appear in the 1980s but may now be on the decline. Percentage of papers dealing with different subject areas published in Ecological Entomology 1976–99. Percentage of papers dealing with six further subject areas published in Ecological Entomology 1976–99. There does not appear to be any editorial influence on the subject matter of the journal, except perhaps for the appearance of species-area relationship studies during the period in which John Lawton was at the helm. This period also coincided with the increase in the number of insect–plant interaction papers. Both these areas were, and still are, influenced greatly by John Lawton and his students, so it is not surprising that they began to be represented in the literature as a whole, not just in Ecological Entomology. What is apparent, however, is that the papers published in Ecological Entomology are cited widely by authors publishing in the mainstream ecology journals as well as the more traditional entomological journals. Thus, Ecological Entomology has had a major role in the promulgation and development of ideas in ecology over the past 25 years. Ecological Entomology may not be leading ecology into the 21st Century but it is certainly marching alongside the other journals. In summary, Ecological Entomology has risen from being a respected but parochial journal dealing with straightforward biological studies to a journal with a well-deserved international reputation, reflecting all current issues in ecology and encouraging the development of new trends in the field.

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