Submissions

Author Guidelines

Instars General Style Guidelines:

General Paper Setup

The paper should be typed, in Times New Roman, Times Roman, Arial, or Helvetica font.

            Title: Chosen font, 20 pt, Centered

            Authors: Chosen font, 12 pt, Centered

            Author associations: Chosen font, 12 pt, italicized, Centered

            Editor: Chosen font, 12 pt., Centered

            Section labels: Chosen font, 12 pt, bold, left justified

            Body: chosen font, 12 pt, left-right justified

Abstract and body of paper should have justified text (distribute text evenly between margins), 1.15 line spacing, 0 mm left indent, 0 mm right indent, (i.e. no indentation at the beginning of paragraphs) 0 pt spacing before each line, and 10 pt spacing after each line

Place a horizontal line beneath the editors and before the abstract; place an additional horizontal line after the key words and before the introduction

Title, authors, editor, and abstract should each span full width of document. Body of paper (Intro, materials and methods, results, discussion, conclusion) should be in two columns. References should span full width of document.

Section Titles

Each section, apart from the introduction, should have a title, with each major word capitalized, and all words bolded.

Abstract title should be at the beginning of the first sentence followed by a colon (see example below)

“Abstract: This paper will be about….”

The introduction should not have a title

All other elements should have title, left justified, with one 1.15 line space before the text. (See example below)

“Materials and Methods

Wild maggot of the proper type were….”

 

See published journal for example of layout

 

 

 

 

Order of Elements

Order of elements are as follows: Title, Authors, Editor, Abstract and key words; Introduction (no heading); Materials and Methods; Results; and Discussion; Acknowledgments; References Cited; footnotes. Tables, figures, and figure legends should be integrated into the proper section.

Note: The person who edited your paper will get “Edited by” credit on the final publication. This credit will be beneath the authors and before the abstract.

Heading Levels

First-level headings are centered and boldfaced on their own line. Initial capital letters. Used to divide the manuscript into major sections (e.g., Materials and Methods, Results).

Second-level headings are flush left, boldface, and are also on their own line with initial capital letters. Second-level headings are rarely used except in taxonomic articles where multilevels of headings may be necessary.)

Third-level headings are boldfaced, paragraph indented, have initial capital letters, and are followed by a period. Third-level headings are used to divide first-level sections into smaller sections.

Fourth-level headings are italicized (but not boldfaced), paragraph indented, have initial capital letters, follow immediately after a third-level heading or start a new paragraph, and are followed by a period. Fourth-level headings are used to divide third-level sections into smaller sections.

 

Title

Title should encompass the scope of the research question, be presented in a scientific tone, and give information about the project without ambiguity.

Authors

Anyone who worked on the paper, gathered data, paid for any equipment, and/or the supervisor or professor in charge of the lab should be included in the author list.

Order of authors is up to the writers, but by convention is thus:

First author: person who did the most work over all
Last author: Professor whose lab you worked in, or person who funded the experiment and gave you space
Middle authors: list in descending order of amount of work they did

Tip: If you every have to ask “should this person be an author?” just add them somewhere in the middle and don’t worry about it. It’s better to give them credit than have to deal with a lawsuit later. (Yes, this has happened)

Edited by

The editor chosen to work on your paper will get editor credit. This will be listed just below the authors and above the abstract.

 

 

Abstract and Key Words

Abstract. Provide an abstract of 250-500 words. Give scientific name (including order:family) and authority (author) at first mention of the subject organism. Do not cite references, figures, tables, probability levels, or specific results. Refer to results only in the general sense, and give a minimum of one sentence of conclusion

Keywords. Place three to five key words, separated by commas, on a line below the abstract. Use only singular words/noun. Spell out scientific names (e.g., spell out Aedes albopictus instead of Ae. albopictus). Do not combine different subjects as one key word (e.g., "pesticides and grass," should be two separate keywords, "pesticide, grass.") Do not use scientific names and common name at the same time as one key word [e.g., use "coffee,Coffea arabica" (as 2 key words) instead of coffee (Coffea arabica).

Introduction (no title for this section)

The introduction should clearly state the basis of your study along with the background of the problem and a statement of purpose. The Materials and Methods section should include a clear and concise description of the study design, experimental execution, materials, and method of statistical analysis. Results should be clearly differentiated from the interpretation of your findings in the Results section or within the Results and Discussion. Cite tables and figures in numerical order as they should appear in the text. Include suggestions for direction of future studies, if appropriate.

Materials and Methods

Present your materials/methods in a logical sequence in the text. The methods should be written in paragraph form, with each material having its manufacturer, city, and state clearly listed.

Example:

“Wild maggots of C. macellaria and Ch. rufifacies were collected from carrion in College Station, TX. Both species of maggot were raised on food-grade cow liver (American Laboratories, Inc., Omaha, NE) and the adult flies were placed in a collapsible 12x12x12 fly cage (BioQuip, Rancho Dominguez, CA) with sugar (American Sugar Refining, Inc., West Palm Beach, FL) and water.”
 

Manufacturers

In parentheses, provide manufacturer's name and location (city, state) and model number of relevant materials and equipment. Example: (Model 3000, LI-COR, Lincoln, NE). Use generic names when possible (e.g., self-sealing plastic bags).
 

Reporting Requirements for Statistical Tests

All data reported (except for descriptive biology) must be subjected to statistical analysis. Descriptive biology should include information such as sample sizes and number of replications. Authors are responsible for the statistical method selected and for the accuracy of their data. Authors should be able to justify the use of a particular statistical test when requested by an editor. Results of statistical tests may be presented in the text, in tables, and in figures. Statistical methods should be described in Materials and Methods with appropriate references. Experimental designs should also be described fully in Materials and Methods. Descriptions should include information such as sample sizes and number of replications. See specific section in this style guide for suggestions on formatting statistical results. Only t-tests and analyses of variance require no citation. Cite the computer program user's manual in the References Cited.

Analysis of Variance or t-test

When presenting the results of analysis of variance or a t-test, specify F (or t) values, degrees of freedom, and P values. This information may be placed in parentheses in the text. Example: (F = 9.26; df = 4, 26; P < 0.001). If readability of the text is affected by the presence of repeated parenthetical statistical statements, place them in a table.

Regression

In regressions, specify the model, define all variables, and provide estimates of variances for parameters and the residual mean-square error. Italicize variables in equations and text.

Variance and sample size

Include an estimate of the variance and sample size for each mean regardless of the method chosen for unplanned multiple comparisons. The use of Duncan's Multiple Range Test (DMRT) is not acceptable as a mean separation test as it is no longer commonly accepted as a method for post hoc mean separation analysis.
 

Reporting Taxonomy

Follow the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, 4th ed., for taxonomic style. Center the heading that indicates the name of the taxon in bold type. Center figure numbers in parentheses under the main heading; do not use bold type. Start all synonymies at the left margin with run overs indented. Include authors and date. References must appear in References Cited section. Use telegraphic style throughout descriptions.

Dates

Use Roman numerals I through XII to designate month of collection. Use Arabic numerals 00 through 99 to designate collection years in the 20th century. Do not abbreviate other years, including the 21st century. Express data in this format: day-month (use a Roman numeral)-year. Example: 2-V-97.

Locality Other than Principal Types

Start with the largest area followed by successively smaller areas separated by colons. Capitalize countries. Arrange data for each locality in the following order: count of specimens and sex or stage (as applicable), city or vicinity, date, collector, and depository. 

Example: MEXICO: Tamaulipas: 1 male, 1 female, Ciudad Mante, 15-III-97, K. Haack; 5 females, Ciudad Victoria, 3-VII-99, C. Hughes, MCZ. Arrange localities alphabetically. Use a semicolon to separate data for different localities.

Define depositories in the Materials and Methods.

Voucher Specimens

Voucher specimens of arthropods serve as future reference for published names used in scientific publications. Although the deposition of voucher specimens is not required as a condition for publication, authors are encouraged to deposit specimens in an established, permanent collection and to note in the published article that the expected deposition has been made and its location. Authors should contact the curator of a voucher repository before deposition concerning the procedures required for curation to ensure that the collection will accept the voucher materials. The designation and proper labeling of voucher specimens is the author's responsibility. When available, at least three specimens should be deposited. Each specimen should have the following information provided at the time of deposition:

• Standard label data that are required for the specimens collection (i.e., locality, date of collection, collector, host, ecological data, whether the specimen is from a laboratory collection, etc.).
• An identification label that includes the identifier and date of identification.
• A label that designates the specimen as "voucher."
  
  

 

Results

Results should list all pertinent findings from the test, written in paragraph form. Data should also be presented in at least one figure, table, or illustration. Emphasize or summarize important observations you found outside of the official data.

Figures, Tables, and Illustrations

All figures, tables, and illustrations should span the full width of the page (rather than being in a single column) to ensure readability of the work. If the figure is too large in width for the standard page, rotate it into landscape form.

Tables

Embed tables within body of manuscript, preferably within one line of when table is referenced in the text.  The table should cross two columns to ensure readability. Double-space and number all tables. Boldface table title. Do not repeat data already presented in text. If a table continues on more than one page, repeat column headings on subsequent page(s).

Title

Place the title of the table above the table itself. Title should be short and descriptive. Boldface table number and title only. Include "means + SEM" in title if applicable. Do not footnote title; use the unlettered first footnote to include general information necessary to understand the table (e.g., define terms, abbreviations, and statistical tests).

Lines

Use horizontal lines to separate title from column headings, column headings from data field, and data field from footnotes. Do not use vertical lines to separate columns. All columns must have headings.

Abbreviations

Use approved abbreviations. Use abbreviations already defined in the text and define others in the general footnote. Use the following abbreviations in the body or column headings of tables only: amt (amount), avg (average), concn (concentration), diam (diameter), exp (experiment), ht (height), max (maximum), min. (minimum), no. (number), prepn (preparation), temp (temperature), vs (versus), vol (volume), wt (weight). Use the following abbreviations for months: Jan., Feb., Mar., April, May, June, July, Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., and Dec.

Operational Signs

Repeat operational signs throughout data field. Insert a space on either side of sign (1.42 ± 1.36).

Spacing

Leave no space between lowercase letters and their preceding values (e.g., 731.2ab).

Footnotes to Tables

Use footnotes to define or clarify column headings or specific datum within the data field. Do not footnote the title; use the unlettered first footnote to include general information necessary to understand the table (e.g., define terms, abbreviations, and statistical tests). The use of asterisks is reserved for statistical significance only.

Example:
Means within a column followed by the same letter are not significantly different (P < 0.05; Student t-test [Abbott 1925]). *, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01; ***, P < 0.001; NS, not significant).

Use lowercase italicized superscripted letters to indicate footnotes. Footnote letters should appear in the table in consecutive order, from left to right across the table then down the page.

 

Table example:

Table 1. Developmental times (days) of A. fusca stages at constant temperatures under laboratory conditions (75 ± 5% RH and a photoperiod of 12:12 [L:D] h)

 

Figures

Figures may be embedded in the manuscript, preferable within one line of when figure is referenced in text, and should cross two columns for readability. Figures may be in black and white or color.Figures should be inserted in the manuscript file in one of the following formats: TIFF, EPS, WMF, or JPEG. GIF formats, such as from websites, are not acceptable and produce poor quality printouts because of low resolution, even for peer review purposes. Charts from Excel and SigmaPlot should not be inserted unless they are in one of the above formats.

Figure Preparation

Although figures of any size can be submitted, figures that fit exactly the width of 1 column (72 mm) or 2 columns (148 mm) expedite the publication process. Figures should be no longer than 195 mm from top to bottom. Separate parts of the same figure must be grouped together and arranged to use space efficiently. Wherever possible, it is best to avoid using a full page for a set of illustrations. That is, authors should attempt to have each figure appear separately from the others and should consider numbering illustrations as separate figures rather than as multiple parts of the same figure.

When choosing a font size, remember that it should be large enough so that reduction to fit the journal page will not make lettering difficult to read. Final lettering size should be 8 or 9 point using the fonts Arial or Helvetica or Times New Roman or Times Roman. Letter locants on figures composed of more than one element should match those in the text (either upper- or lowercase). Use a scale bar in lieu of magnification, and define scale in the figure caption. Figures will not be relettered nor will flaws be corrected.

 

Photographs

Photographs may be used as figures, and should be inserted into the manuscript and labeled as figures accordingly. Photographs should be inserted in the manuscript file in one of the following formats: TIFF, EPS, WMF, or JPEG. GIF formats, such as from websites, are not acceptable and produce poor quality printouts because of low resolution, even for peer review purposes.

Abbreviations and Symbols

Abbreviations and symbols in figures should match those in the text or be defined in legends.

Figure Captions

Type all captions double-spaced. All captions should be in paragraph form as shown by the example below. Figure captions should be placed below the figure itself, and labeled as Fig. 1. (etc.), with the word “Figure” abbreviated to “Fig.” and a period after the figure number. Each figure placed in the manuscript must be referred to in the text. Caption should be a description of the figure, and include all relevant information, including p values, symbols, etc. Caption should be written in sentence format, with periods after each phrase. 

 

Fig. 1. Relationship between percentage of defoliation of oak trees and gypsy moth population density. (A) Defoliation and egg mass density. (B) Defoliation of egg density.

Letter locants on figures composed of more than one element should match those in the text (either upper- or lowercase). Do not use equal signs to define abbreviations; use commas (e.g., Ap, barometric pressure).

 

 

 

 

Figure example:

Fig. 2. Longevity compared of A. fusca adults at different temperatures. Development time of females was significantly higher than that of males (*P<0.001, Student’s t-test).

 

Discussion

Emphasize the new and important aspects of the study and the conclusions that follow from them. Do not repeat in detail data or other material given in the Introduction or the Results section. Instead, tie your observations and data back to the information you set up in the introduction.

Include in the Discussion section the implications of the findings and their limitations, including implications for future research. Relate the observations to other relevant studies. Link the conclusions with the goals of the study, but avoid unqualified statements and conclusions not completely supported by your data. Avoid claiming priority and alluding to work that has not been completed. State new hypotheses when warranted, but clearly label them as such. Recommendations, when appropriate, may be included.

 

 

 

 

 

 

References Cited

In-text Citation

Single Author
(Smith 1993)

Two Authors
(Smith and Jones 1993)

Multiple Citations
(Smith 1996, Smith et al. 1997, Jones 1998)

Multiple Publications by Same Author(s)
(Smith et al. 1995a, 1995b, 1997; Jones 1996)

Personal Communications
(Jones 1988; L. J. Smith, personal communication). Obtain and forward (at submission) a letter of permission to use citations to personal communications (from those other than authors).

Unpublished Data
(L.J.S., unpublished data) for one author or (unpublished data) for all authors. Obtain and forward (at submission) a letter of permission to use citations to unpublished data (from those other than authors).

In Press
(Smith 1997) for in press, cite projected year of publication.

Software
(PROC GLM, SAS Institute 1999) for software user's manual.

Cite only those articles published or formally accepted for publication (in press). Include all references mentioned in text. Include enough information to allow reader to obtain cited material (e.g., book and proceedings citations must include name and location [city and state or country] of publisher).

Abbreviate journal titles according to the most recent issue of BIOSIS Serial Sources. For non-English titled journals that are cited in the references, the title of the journal should be spelled out, and not abbreviated. Systematics-related articles may specify that all serial titles be spelled out for final publication.  Citations and References should not be numbered.

References Cited: Alphabetical order (chronological for one author or more than two authors, and alphabetical order [by surname of second author] for two authors)

Journal Articles

Evans, M. A. 2000. Article title: subtitle (begin with lowercase after colon
    or dash unless first word is a proper noun). J. Abbr. 00:000–000.

Evans, M. A. 2001a. Article title. J. Abbr. 00: 000–000.

Evans, M. A. 2001b. Article title.J. Abbr. 00: 000–000.

Evans, M. A., and R. Burns. 2001. Article title. J. Abbr. 00: 000–000.

Evans, M. A., and A. Tyler. 2001. Article title. J. Abbr. 00: 000–000.

Evans, M. A., A. Tyler, and H. H. Munro. 2000. Article title. J. Abbr. 00: 000–000.

Evans, M. A., R. Burns, and A. A. Dunn. 2001. Article title. J. Abbr. 00: 000–000.

In Press

Evans, M. A. 2002. Article title. J. Econ. Entomol. (in press).

Books

Burns, R. 2001. Title (initial cap only): subtitle (no initial cap after colon). Publisher, city, state abbreviation or country.

Evans, M. A. 2001. Colorado potato beetle, 2nd ed. Publisher, city, state abbreviation or country.

Tyler, A. 2001. Western corn rootworm, vol. 2. Publisher, city, state abbreviation or country.

Article/Chapter in Book

Tyler, A. 2001. Article or chapter title, pp. 000–000. In T.A.J. Royer and R. B. Burns (eds.), Book title. Publisher, city, state abbreviation or country.

Tyler, A., R.S.T. Smith, and H. Brown. 2001. Onion thrips control, pp. 178–195. In R. S. Green and P. W. White (eds.), Book title, vol. 13. Entomological Society of America, Lanham, MD.

No Author Given

(USDA) U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2001. Title. USDA, Beltsville, MD.

(IRRI) International Rice Research Institute. 2001. Title. IRRI, City, State or Country.

Patents

Harred, J. F., A. R. Knight, and J. S. McIntyre, inventors; Dow Chemical Company,
    assignee. 1972 Apr 4. Epoxidation process. U.S. patent 3,654,317.

Proceedings

Martin, P. D., J. Kuhlman, and S. Moore. 2001. Yield effects of
    European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) feeding, pp. 345–356.
    In Proceedings, 19th Illinois Cooperative Extension Service Spray
    School, 24–27 June 1985, Chicago, IL. Publisher, City, State.

Rossignol, P. A. 2001. Parasite modification of mosquito probing
    behavior, pp. 25–28. In T. W. Scott and J. Grumstrup-Scott (eds.),
    Proceedings, Symposium: the Role of Vector-Host Interactions
    in Disease Transmission. National Conference of the Entomological
    Society of America,10 December 1985, Hollywood, FL. Miscellaneous
    Publication 68. Entomological Society of America, Lanham, MD.

Theses/Dissertations

James, H. 2001. Thesis or dissertation title. M.S. thesis or Ph.D.
    dissertation, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

Software

SAS Institute. 2001. PROC user's manual, version 6th ed. SAS Institute, Cary, NC.

Online Citations

Reisen, W. 2001. Title. Complete URL (protocol://host.name/path/file.name) and/or DOI (Digital Object Identifier)

 

Acknowledgements

Place the acknowledgements after the text. Organize acknowledgements in paragraph form in the following order: persons (omit all professional titles and degrees), groups, granting institutions, grant numbers, and serial publication number.

 

 

 

Supplemental Material

Supplemental Material may be submitted in the form of one or more (8 maximum) files to accompany the online version of an article. Such material often consists of large tables, data sets, or videos which normally are not possible or convenient to present in print media. Supplemental Material represents substantive information to be posted on the ESA journal website that enhances and enriches the information presented in the main body of a paper. However, the paper must stand on its own without the need for the reader to access the supplemental information to understand and judge the merits of the paper. Any files containing Supplemental Material must be provided at the time of manuscript submission, and will be distributed to reviewers as part of the normal peer-review process. Authors should alert the editor to the presence of Supplementary Material in their cover letter at submission. Once a paper is published, the content of accompanying Supplemental Material files cannot be altered. Although the content of any submitted Supplementary Material is subject to normal peer-review and any changes required by the editor, no copy editing will be performed by the journal’s production staff. Therefore, the authors are responsible for suitable format and final appearance of Supplemental Material after acceptance of the paper.

Supplemental Material should be referenced in the body of the main paper (e.g., Supp. Table S1; Supp. Video S1), where a link will take the online reader to the file. Each supplemental file must be labeled with an appropriate title and prefaced by a short (50 words maximum) summary description of the contents. Within each file, any tables, figures, videos, or other material must be accompanied by an appropriate caption. Citations for any literature referenced within a Supplemental Material file should be listed in a References Cited section at the end of the file, even when a citation is duplicated in the main body of the paper. Videos should be brief (< 5 min) and kept to a reasonable size to facilitate downloading by readers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes on Terminology

Scientific Names

Scientific names and authorities must be spelled out (except for Fabricius and Linnaeus, which are abbreviated as F. and L., respectively) the first time a species is mentioned in the abstract and again in the main body of text.

Common Names

Use only those common names cited in the current ESA Common Names of Insects & Related Organisms online database, or those names approved by the ESA Common Names Committee. Do not use any other common name. Do not abbreviate common names (e.g., CPB for Colorado potato beetle).

Give scientific name and authority at first mention of each organism (including plants) in the abstract and again in the text.
 

Use of "Stadium," "Stage," and "Instar"

Manuscripts received for publication in ESA periodicals refer to arthropods and the periods of time in their development in various ways. These designations should be used consistently.

Stadium (Plural: Stadia): The period of time between two successive molts.

Stage: One of the successive principal divisions in the life cycle of an arthropod (e.g., egg, nymph, larva, prepupa, pupa, subimago, and adult).

Instar: The arthropod itself between two successive molts. For the purposes of the definition, hatching is considered a molt.

Examples of Usage:

Nymphs feed on the underside of leaves during the first stadium.

Larvae of some dermestids go through an indefinite number of stadia (or have an indefinite number of instars).

The nymphs were reared through the fifth stadium. Immature stages (e.g., eggs, larvae, and pupae; eggs and nymphs) are illustrated.

First instar of cerambycids make galleries in wood.

Some 200 first-instar spiderlings were collected. The predators fed readily on early instars of the face fly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes on Formatting

Capitalization

Do not capitalize the following words in titles or subheadings: a, an, and, as, at, be, by, for, in, of, on, per, to, the.

Abbreviations

Use standard abbreviations as listed in the Council of Biology Editors' Scientific Style and Format, The CBE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, 6th ed., or those listed in this guide. Avoid nonstandard abbreviations.

Abbreviations for Time

Use the following abbreviations for time: h (hour), min (minute), s (second), yr (year), mo (month), wk (week), d (day). Do not add "s" to create plurals (e.g., wks).

Fig./Figs.

Use "Fig." if singular and "Figs." if plural (e.g., Fig. 1; Figs. 2 and 3).

Dates

When citing dates in the text (not in tables or taxonomic reports), do not abbreviate month, and use this format: 26 January 1997.

Metric Units

Use metric units. English units may follow within parentheses only if they are of direct practical purpose.

 

Liter

Do not abbreviate "liter" by itself or when accompanied by a numeral.

% versus percentage

Use "%" only with numerals and in tables and figures. Close up space to numerals (e.g., 50%). Otherwise, use the word percentage (e.g., percentage of defoliation).

Per versus slash

Use "per" rather than a slash unless reporting measurements in unit to unit (e.g., insects per branch, not insects/branch; but g/cm2, not g per cm2.

Numbers

Spell out numbers at the beginning of a sentence. Spell out the numbers one through nine (10 and up are always used as numerals), unless they are used as units of measure (e.g., eight children, three dogs, 8 g, 3 ft, 0600 hours; NOT 8 children, 3 dogs, eight grams, three feet, or six o'clock am). This includes spelling out the ordinals first through ninth, along with twofold, one-way ANOVA, and one-half. Ordinals from 10 and higher are numerals, such as 10th or 51st. In some cases, such as where there is a long list of items (e.g., 8 flies, 6 mosquitoes, 4 butterflies, and 10 bees), exceptions can be made if the editor concurs. The editorial staff will have flexibility in interpreting the rule.

Zeros with P values

All numbers <1 must be preceded by a zero (e.g., P < 0.05).

Commas

When a number is >1,000, use a comma to separate hundreds from thousands.

Semicolon

Use a semicolon to separate different types of citations (Fig. 4; Table 2).

Repeating symbols

It is not necessary to repeat symbols or units of measure in a series (e.g., 30, 40, and 60%, respectively).
 

Footnotes to the Text

Avoid footnotes in the text. Use unnumbered footnotes only for disclaimers and animal use information. Place all footnotes on a separate page after References Cited. Examples of footnotes are:

This article reports the results of research only. Mention of a proprietary product does not constitute an endorsement or a recommendation by the USDA for its use.

In conducting the research described in this report, the investigators adhered to the "Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals," as promulgated by the Committee on Care and Use of Laboratory Animals of the Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources, National Research Council. The facilities are fully accredited by the American Association of Laboratory Animal Care.