2025/01/18 by Roger D. Santer, William Allen · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Insect behavior and control techniques #Insect-Plant Interactions and Control #Plant and animal studies
paper · doi:10.1016/j.cois.2025.101331
openalex publication_date 2025/01/18 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/17
Humans and insects inhabit very different perceptual worlds, so human experimenters need to be aware of their perceptual biases when investigating insect behaviour. In applied entomology, human perceptual biases have been a barrier to the rational design, manufacture, and improvement of pest control devices that effectively exploit insect visual behaviour. This review describes how the influence of human perceptual bias on this area of applied entomology is being reduced by our expanding understanding of insect visual perception and use of visual modelling methods and highlights several important challenges that are yet to be overcome. • Entomologists must consider the perceptual worlds of insects to improve pest control. • Visual modelling methods have guided improvement of trap colour for several species. • Modelling other aspects of vision can further improve pest control. • Insect perceptual worlds are complex, with much still to be learnt and incorporated.