# Topics and Trends in Most Cited Insect Resistance and Genetics Papers, Class of 2026

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/insect-resistance-and-genetics/2026*

## What topics and trends defined most-cited Insect Resistance and Genetics research in the Class of 2026?

Insect resistance research in 2024 is defined by a major shift toward RNA interference, double-stranded RNA delivery, and molecular docking. The field demonstrates significant cohort growth in dsRNA stability, foliar application, and resistance allele tracking, while broad cytochrome P450 enzyme profiling and single-species Spodoptera studies experienced relative declines.

## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Field | Insect Resistance and Genetics |
| Cohort label | Class of 2026 (2024 publications) |
| Papers analyzed | 4,653 |
| Papers ranked | 20 |
| Top topics in ranked papers | RNA interference, Spodoptera frugiperda, Double-stranded RNA, Molecular docking, Pyrethroid resistance |
| Publication window | Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024 |
| Eligibility | Research articles; reviews excluded |
| Citation window | 18 months post-publication |
| 18m citation range | 23–40 |
| Data source | OpenAlex · Retrieved Jul 2026 |
| License | CC BY 4.0 |

## Rankings

| Rank | Title | Authors | Corresponding authors | Affiliation | Journal | 18m citations | DOI |
| ---: | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---: | --- |
| 1 | Challenges in current pest management practices: Navigating problems and a way forward by integrating controlled release system approach | Amrita Singh, Nikita Shraogi, Rahul Verma, Joel Saji, Aditya K. Kar, Sarita Tehlan, Debabrata Ghosh, Satyakam Patnaik | Satyakam Patnaik | Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), India | Chemical Engineering Journal | 40 | 10.1016/j.cej.2024.154989 |
| 2 | Detoxification of phoxim by a gut bacterium of Delia antiqua | Fangyuan Zhou, Xiaoqing Wu, Susu Fan, Xiaoyan Zhao, Miaomiao Li, Fanyong Song, Yujie Huang, Xinjian Zhang | Xinjian Zhang | Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), China | The Science of The Total Environment | 36 | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173866 |
| 3 | Thiadiazole/Thiadiazine Derivatives as Insecticidal Agent: Design, Synthesis, and Biological Assessment of 1,3,4-(Thiadiazine/Thiadiazole)-Benzenesulfonamide Derivatives as IGRs Analogues against <i>Spodoptera littoralis</i> | Ahmed M El-Saghier, Souhaila S Enaili, Aly Abdou, Abdullah Y A Alzahrani, Sana Ben Moussa, Mohamed A Gad, Asmaa M Kadry | Ahmed M. M. El‐Saghier, Mohamed A. Gad | Sohag University, Egypt | Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry | 35 | 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c09703 |
| 4 | Nanoparticle LDH enhances RNAi efficiency of dsRNA in piercing-sucking pests by promoting dsRNA stability and transport in plants | Xiaoqin Cheng, Qi Zhou, Jiedan Xiao, Xueying Qin, Yuan Zhang, Xiaoxue Li, Weiwei Zheng, Hongyu Zhang | Weiwei Zheng, Hongyu Zhang | Huazhong Agricultural University, China | Journal of Nanobiotechnology | 34 | 10.1186/s12951-024-02819-4 |
| 5 | Synthesis, insecticidal Activity, and molecular docking analysis of some benzo[h]quinoline derivatives against Culex pipiens L. Larvae | Eman A E El-Helw, Eslam M Hosni, Mahmoud Kamal, Ahmed I Hashem, Sayed K Ramadan | Sayed K. Ramadan | Ain Shams University, Egypt | Bioorganic Chemistry | 34 | 10.1016/j.bioorg.2024.107591 |
| 6 | Enhanced capacity of a leaf beetle to combat dual stress from entomopathogens and herbicides mediated by associated microbiota | Yuxin Zhang, Handan Xu, Chengjie Tu, Runhua Han, Jing Luo, Letian Xu | Jing Luo, Letian XU | Hubei University, China | Integrative Zoology | 33 | 10.1111/1749-4877.12812 |
| 7 | A single mutation G454A in the P450 <i>CYP9K1</i> drives pyrethroid resistance in the major malaria vector <i>Anopheles funestus</i> reducing bed net efficacy | Carlos S Djoko Tagne, Mersimine F M Kouamo, Magellan Tchouakui, Abdullahi Muhammad, Leon J L Mugenzi, Nelly M T Tatchou-Nebangwa, Riccado F Thiomela, Mahamat Gadji, Murielle J Wondji, Jack Hearn, Mbouobda H Desire, Sulaiman S Ibrahim, Charles S Wondji | Carlos S. Djoko Tagne, Charles S. Wondji | Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID), Cameroon | Genetics | 32 | 10.1093/genetics/iyae181 |
| 8 | Population suppression by release of insects carrying a dominant sterile homing gene drive targeting doublesex in Drosophila | Weizhe Chen, Jialiang Guo, Yiran Liu, Jackson Champer | Jackson Champer | Peking University, China | Nature Communications | 32 | 10.1038/s41467-024-52473-5 |
| 9 | GPCR–MAPK signaling pathways underpin fitness trade-offs in whitefly | Buli Fu, Jinjin Liang, Jinyu Hu, Tianhua Du, Qimei Tan, Chao He, Xuegao Wei, Peipan Gong, Jing Yang, Shaonan Liu, Mingjiao Huang, Lianyou Gui, Kui Liu, Xuguo Zhou, Ralf Nauen, Chris Bass, Xin Yang, Youjun Zhang | Buli Fu, Jinjin Liang, Jinyu Hu, Tianhua Du, Qimei Tan, Chris Bass, Xin Yang, Youjun Zhang | Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | 30 | 10.1073/pnas.2402407121 |
| 10 | Discovery of Knock‐Down Resistance in the Major African Malaria Vector <i>Anopheles funestus</i> | Joel O Odero, Tristan P W Dennis, Brian Polo, Joachim Nwezeobi, Marilou Boddé, Sanjay C Nagi, Anastasia Hernandez-Koutoucheva, Ismail H Nambunga, Hamis Bwanary, Gustav Mkandawile, Nicodem J Govella, Emmanuel W Kaindoa, Heather M Ferguson, Eric Ochomo, Chris S Clarkson, Alistair Miles, Mara K N Lawniczak, David Weetman, Francesco Baldini, Fredros O Okumu | Joel O. Odero, Fredros O. Okumu | Ifakara Health Institute, Tanzania | Molecular Ecology | 29 | 10.1111/mec.17542 |
| 11 | Nanoparticle-delivered RNAi-based pesticide target screening for the rice pest white-backed planthopper and risk assessment for a natural predator | Yun-Feng Ma, Ya-Qin Zhao, Yang-Yuntao Zhou, Hong-Yan Feng, Lang-Lang Gong, Meng-Qi Zhang, J Joe Hull, Youssef Dewer, Amit Roy, Guy Smagghe, Ming He, Peng He | Guy Smagghe, Ming He, Peng He | Guizhou University, China | The Science of The Total Environment | 28 | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171286 |
| 12 | Mechanistic exploration of odorant binding protein-mediated chlorpyrifos resistance in Nilaparvata lugens: Insights from insecticide sequestration and transcriptional regulation | Mengqing Deng, Xiyue Xu, Xiaodan Huang, Tianxiang Xiao, Wenxiu Wang, Jun Li, Xinyu Zhao, Bo Pan, Yingjie Jiang, Ziyu He, Zhiming Yang, Kai Lu | Kai Lǚ | Anhui Agricultural University, China | International Journal of Biological Macromolecules | 28 | 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.138108 |
| 13 | Superior target genes and pathways for <scp>RNAi</scp>‐mediated pest control revealed by genome‐wide analysis in the beetle <scp><i>Tribolium castaneum</i></scp> | Benjamin Buer, Jürgen Dönitz, Martin Milner, Sonja Mehlhorn, Claudia Hinners, Janna Siemanowski-Hrach, Julia K Ulrich, Daniela Großmann, Doga Cedden, Ralf Nauen, Sven Geibel, Gregor Bucher | Sven Geibel, Gregor Bucher | Bayer AG, Germany | Pest Management Science | 25 | 10.1002/ps.8505 |
| 14 | Monitoring and Detection of Insecticide Resistance in Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): Evidence for Field-Evolved Resistance in Egypt | Moataz A M Moustafa, Nourhan A El-Said, Nawal AbdulAziz Alfuhaid, Fatma M A Abo-Elinin, Radwa M B Mohamed, Ahmed A A Aioub | Ahmed A. A. Aioub | Cairo University, Egypt | Insects | 25 | 10.3390/insects15090705 |
| 15 | UDP-glycosyltransferases act as key determinants of host plant range in generalist and specialist <i>Spodoptera</i> species | Huidong Wang, Jing Song, Benjamin J Hunt, Kairan Zuo, Huiru Zhou, Angela Hayward, Bingbing Li, Yajuan Xiao, Xing Geng, Chris Bass, Shutang Zhou | Huidong Wang, Jing Song, Chris Bass, Shutang Zhou | Henan University, China | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | 24 | 10.1073/pnas.2402045121 |
| 16 | Biocontrol effects of chemical molecules derived from Beauveria bassiana against larvae of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) | Perumal Vivekanandhan, Kannan Swathy, Tahani Awad Alahmadi, Mohammad Javed Ansari | Perumal Vivekanandhan | Saveetha University, India | Frontiers in Microbiology | 24 | 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1336334 |
| 17 | CRISPR–Cas9-mediated construction of a cotton CDPK mutant library for identification of insect-resistance genes | Fuqiu Wang, Sijia Liang, Guanying Wang, Tianyu Hu, Chunyang Fu, Qiongqiong Wang, Zhongping Xu, Yibo Fan, Lianlian Che, Ling Min, Bo Li, Lu Long, Wei Gao, Xianlong Zhang, Shuangxia Jin | Bo Li, Lu Long, Wei Gao, Shuangxia Jin | Huazhong Agricultural University, China | Plant Communications | 24 | 10.1016/j.xplc.2024.101047 |
| 18 | Mismatch between lab-generated and field-evolved resistance to transgenic Bt crops in <i>Helicoverpa zea</i> | Andrew W Legan, Carson W Allan, Zoe N Jensen, Benjamin A Degain, Fei Yang, David L Kerns, Kyle M Benowitz, Jeffrey A Fabrick, Xianchun Li, Yves Carrière, Luciano M Matzkin, Bruce E Tabashnik | Bruce E. Tabashnik | University of Arizona, United States | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences | 24 | 10.1073/pnas.2416091121 |
| 19 | Chlorantraniliprole Resistance in <i>Spodoptera frugiperda</i>: Resistance Monitoring, Resistance Risk, and Resistance Mechanisms | Zhimin Guo, Huina Ma, Jiahui Tang, Mengyan Wu, Shun He, Hu Wan, Jianhong Li, Kangsheng Ma | Kangsheng Ma | Huazhong Agricultural University, China | Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry | 23 | 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c03361 |
| 20 | The role of ATP-binding cassette transporters in arthropod pesticide toxicity and resistance | Dries Amezian, Ralf Nauen, Thomas Van Leeuwen | Thomas Van Leeuwen | Ghent University, Belgium | Current Opinion in Insect Science | 23 | 10.1016/j.cois.2024.101200 |

## Topic trends

### What Topics Define the Class of 2026?

The 2024 publication cohort in insect resistance and genetics highlights a prominent structural shift toward precision molecular gene silencing and structural genomic characterization to mitigate pest management challenges. RNA interference (RNAi) leads the field as the single most prevalent technology, featured in 18% of highly cited studies, complemented by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) delivery mechanisms (10% of top papers). This reflects intense research interest in developing targeted non-chemical bio-pesticides capable of selectively knocking down essential insect genes while minimizing off-target environmental toxicity.

In parallel, functional genomic tools and structural modelling have gained widespread adoption. Molecular docking applications (10% of papers) and CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing (8%) are routinely deployed to elucidate binding affinities and validate target site insensitivity. Drosophila melanogaster serves as the principal genetic model organism (10%), enabling high-resolution mapping of resistance alleles and metabolic enzyme loci. Meanwhile, agricultural crop threats—most notably the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (12% of papers)—and malaria vectors such as Anopheles funestus (8%) remain primary empirical foci. Together, these methodologies demonstrate a field-wide emphasis on molecular biology and genomic mapping to unravel pyrethroid resistance mechanisms and extend target longevity.

*Leading research themes*

### How Did Topics Shift from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026?

Comparing the Class of 2025 and Class of 2026 cohorts reveals a marked transition from descriptive enzyme profiling toward functional RNAi engineering, structural docking, and allele-level population genetics. The most substantial expansion occurred in double-stranded RNA technology, which surged from unranked status to 10% of top publications, alongside rising interest in dsRNA stability and foliar spray application methods. Simultaneously, computational structural screening via molecular docking and population-level detection of resistance alleles both grew from 4% to 10%, highlighting a shift toward predictive resistance monitoring and targeted ligand design.

Conversely, traditional biochemical assays and broad pest surveys experienced notable relative declines. Studies focused on general cytochrome P450 monooxygenase activity fell from 16% to 8% of top literature, while broader detoxification enzyme profiling dropped from 12% to 6%. Additionally, single-species dominance moderated: publications centered on Spodoptera frugiperda dropped from 22% to 12%, and entomopathogenic fungal biocontrol decreased from 10% to 4%. Overall, the literature is pivoting away from legacy enzymatic toxicity screening in favor of advanced RNAi biopesticides, genomic allele tracking, and structure-guided target resistance analysis.

*How topics shifted year over year*

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Insect Resistance and Genetics Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/insect-resistance-and-genetics/2026. Accessed 2026-07-23.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
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