Journal profile · Entomology
Insect Molecular Biology
ISSN 0962-1075 · eISSN 1365-2583 · Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd · ENGLAND · Bimonthly · Founded 1992
Insect Molecular Biology: CAS Zone 3 · Agricultural & Forestry Sciences (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.27; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,140; median 136 days to acceptance (88 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly hard; 71 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Insect Molecular Biology is published by Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd and is in Zone 3 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Insect Resistance and Genetics, Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research and Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences, together about 35.5% of its articles. Its main subfields are Insect Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Insect Molecular Biology is a Royal Entomological Society journal publishing high-quality original research on insect and arthropod molecular biology. Focusing on insect genomics/genes and proteomics/proteins. Delving into topics like gene structure and regulation, protein localization and function, molecular population genetics, and insect interactions with microorganisms. We encourage papers with large datasets from experiments or genome analyses, as long as they contribute to hypothesis testing and advance understanding in the field. Examples of appropriate topics include: structure, function and regulation of genes; localisation and function/activity of proteins; interactions of proteins and their ligands or substrates; effect of mutations on the function of genes and proteins; evolution of insect genes or genomes, especially where principles relevant to insects in general are established; molecular population genetics where data are used to identify genes or regions of genomes involved in specific adaptations; gene mapping using genetic or molecular methods; molecular interactions of insects with microorganisms including Wolbachia, symbionts and viruses or other pathogens transmitted by insects. Papers can include large data sets from high-throughput omics studies or in silico analyses of genome sequences that are performed in the context of hypothesis testing. IMB is also interested in serving as a venue for the rapid dissemination of genome assemblies and well-curated -omics datasets to encourage resource sharing and facilitate the development of data sciences for insects. Although IMB's mission is broad, certain types of manuscripts are best submitted elsewhere. These include the following: Manuscripts solely reporting on molecular methods for identifying species, as well as those solely reporting molecular phylogenies. Population-level studies whose primary goal is to describe the genetic structure of populations along with associated questions concerning gene flow and migration. To allow for rapid, easily available publication of the latest type of insect molecular research IMB offers: Open Access option available; Free Access for group publications (e.g. genome consortia); Accommodation of large supplemental data files; Rapid on-line publication via Early View; Free on-line colour illustrations.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Entomology
Editor-in-chief Sassan AsgariPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 2 in mainland China (about 8%); most named United States 10, United Kingdom 5, Mainland China 2, Taiwan, China 2, Germany 2 (25 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Insect Resistance and GeneticsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology15.8%
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology ResearchNeuroscience10.7%
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influencesAgricultural and Biological Sciences9%
- Insect and Pesticide ResearchAgricultural and Biological Sciences8.4%
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and BehaviorBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7.8%
- Invertebrate Immune Response MechanismsImmunology and Microbiology6.7%
- Insect-Plant Interactions and ControlAgricultural and Biological Sciences6.5%
- Mosquito-borne diseases and controlMedicine3.4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Entomology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Entomology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Entomology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
MEDLINEPubMedCAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: EBSCO, ProQuest, AGRICOLA
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 3.27LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3.3Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.9LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 4.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 4.9Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.63LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.82LetPub ·
- h-index
- 84LetPub ·
- h-index
- 125OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,695OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.37OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 6.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 29.65%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 57LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 58Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 196,610Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,587 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 46 | 20 | 5 |
| 2025 | 71 | 37 | 158 |
| 2024 | 102 | 52 | 576 |
| 2023 | 64 | 36 | 544 |
| 2022 | 77 | 21 | 648 |
| 2021 | 72 | 15 | 728 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
136 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 84 days – 184 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 20 days (88 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 157 days
- Sample
- 88 articles with submission and acceptance dates (130 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- 6–12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly hardLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 29%Publisher website ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 29%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 14 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 14 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 135 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 21 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 4,140 / EUR 3,480 / GBP 2,700 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Colour charges
- No colour charges
- Page charges
- No page charges
- Submission fee
- No submission fee
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare7 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- ≤ 5
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 7,000 words
- Reference style
- Harvard
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Graphical abstract
- Required
- Not considered
- sequence data alone
Article types accepted8
- commentaryArticle Type: Research Article Description: Reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant contribution to knowledge Word Limit…Length not stated
- meta-analysisArticle Type: Research Article Description: Reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant contribution to knowledge Word Limit…Length not stated
- opinionArticle Type: Research Article Description: Reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant contribution to knowledge Word Limit…Length not stated
- research articleArticle Type: Research Article Description: Reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant contribution to knowledge Word Limit…Length not stated
- research reportArticle Type: Research Article Description: Reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant contribution to knowledge Word Limit…Length not stated
- reviewArticle Type: Research Article Description: Reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant contribution to knowledge Word Limit…Length not stated
- short reviewArticle Type: Research Article Description: Reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant contribution to knowledge Word Limit…Length not stated
- systematic reviewArticle Type: Research Article Description: Reports of new research findings or conceptual analyses that make a significant contribution to knowledge Word Limit…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Data availability, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Use of Artificial Intelligence
Authors can use AI to improve readability and language of their manuscript. Though AI may be used as a tool to assist in analysing and evaluating data, authors should never use AI to generate data or draw scientific conclusions. If AI is used to develop any portion of a manuscript, its use must be described, transparently and in detail, in the Methods or Acknowledgements section. AI and AI-assiste…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship
All listed authors should have contributed to the manuscript substantially and have agreed to the final submitted version. Review best practice guidelines for authors and contributors and scroll down for a description of authorship criteria. In accordance with Wiley’s Best Practice Guidelines on Research Integrity and Publishing Ethics and the Committee on Publication Ethics’ guidance, Insect Mole…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data Sharing and Data Accessibility
Data sharing required in public repository Model summary
Insect Molecular Biology recognizes the many benefits of archiving research data. Insect Molecular Biology requires that all data supporting all results presented in a paper (including all analyses, figures and tables) should be made available in a public repository. Full details of our policy and an FAQ on archiving data can be found here. The repository that you choose should offer you guarantee…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Reproduction of Copyright Material
If excerpts from copyrighted works owned by third parties are included, credit must be shown in the contribution. It is your responsibility to also obtain written permission for reproduction from the copyright owners. For more information visit Wiley’s Copyright Terms & Conditions FAQ. The corresponding author is responsible for obtaining written permission to reproduce the material "in print and …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access
This journal is a Subscription journal that offers Open Access. You’ll have the option to choose to make your article open access after acceptance, which will be subject to an APC. You can read more about APCs and whether you may be eligible for waivers or discounts, through your institution, funder, or a country waiver.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review 1. Submission and Peer Review
Single blind peer review model Model summary
As well as following the below author guidelines, please ensure your manuscript falls within our aims and scope before submitting. Once the submission materials have been prepared in accordance with the Author Guidelines, manuscripts should be submitted online at: https://authors.wiley.com/journal/IMB For help with submissions, please contact: the Editorial Office Email: imb.editorial@wiley.com Fo…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints policy
Preprints considered for review Model summary
Please find the Wiley Preprint Policy here. Insect Molecular Biology will consider for review articles previously available as preprints. You are requested to update any pre-publication versions with a link to the final published article. You may also post the final published version of the article immediately after publication.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1992
- ISSN
- 0962-1075
- Electronic ISSN
- 1365-2583
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 35, Issue 5 (October 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Insect Molecular Biology
What CAS zone is Insect Molecular Biology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Insect Molecular Biology is in Zone 3 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Entomology / Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Insect Molecular Biology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.27; CiteScore 4.9, h-index 125.
How long does peer review take at Insect Molecular Biology?
Based on the dates recorded on 88 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 136 days (interquartile range 84–184 days); authors report an average review time of 6–12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly hard”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 29% (2025). Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Insect Molecular Biology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: ≤ 5; Manuscript length: ≤ 7,000 words; Reference style: Harvard; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Graphical abstract: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Insect Molecular Biology based?
Of the 25 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 2 (about 8%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (10), United Kingdom (5) and Mainland China (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Insect Molecular Biology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Insect Molecular Biology is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE, PubMed, CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Insect Molecular Biology open access, and what is the APC?
Insect Molecular Biology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,140.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .