The science of insect and arthropod repellents is rapidly advancing, with applications extending far beyond personal protection against vector-borne diseases. Modern repellents—including conventional chemical, semiochemical approaches, topical and spatial applications—play an increasingly important role in modulating pest behavior across diverse environments and safeguarding valuable resources. Semiochemical repellents also play essential roles in natural ecosystems, where they modulate ecological interactions, competition, and resource use within communities.

For the purposes of this Research Topic, repellents are defined as substances or agents that prevent or reduce the approach, landing, or feeding of insects and other arthropods. They may act at a distance (spatial repellents) or upon direct contact with treated surfaces (contact repellents, such as DEET and similar agents). Repellents act primarily by discouraging pest presence or interaction rather than by killing the organism. This definition includes products applied to skin, clothing, or surfaces, as well as volatile formulations that alter insect behavior before contact.

Studies focusing solely on feeding or oviposition deterrents—agents that act after landing or substrate assessment—are considered outside the scope of this Research Topic. Our aim is to maintain a clear distinction between repellence and deterrence, emphasizing behavioral outcomes that prevent pest approach, landing, or feeding rather than inhibition after contact or ingestion.

Recent advances demonstrate repellent use in:

• Personal protection through topical and spatial solutions;
• Protection of built and living environments from nuisance arthropods and structural pests;
• Preservation of stored and post-harvest food products;
• Crop and forest protection from damaging insects;
• Shielding beneficial insects from non-target exposure to crop protection chemicals;
• Reducing parasite burdens in companion animals and livestock;
• Managing wildlife and megafauna movements in natural habitats.

This Research Topic seeks to encompass the full scope of repellent science by inviting studies that explore new strategies, mechanisms, and technologies relevant to both established and emerging applications. We particularly encourage submissions that enhance mechanistic understanding or introduce innovative applications that advance both conventional personal protection and emerging uses of repellents in agriculture, ecology, and environmental management.

Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Topical and spatial repellents for personal and environmental protection;
• Repellent-based strategies for built environments and stored-product protection;
• Crop, forest, and beneficial insect protection;
• Veterinary, livestock, and wildlife management applications;
• Emerging technologies, including electric-field and sound-based repellents;
• Discovery and development of natural, plant-derived, and essential-oil-based repellents;
• Advances in polymer-based, encapsulated, and slow-release formulations;
• Comparative studies of short- and long-term repellency and habituation;
• Ecological functions of semiochemical repellents in natural systems.

We welcome original research, reviews, brief reports, perspectives, and methodological papers that provide new insights into the mechanisms, development, and applications of repellents across biological, agricultural, medical, and environmental contexts.

Topic Editor Agenor Mafra - Neto is affiliated with ISCA Inc. where he serves as CEO and Secretary of the Board as well as ArcGen Pro LLC, where he serves as a Chairman and a member of the Board of Advisors.
Topic Editor Mustapha Debboun declares no competing interests with regards to the Research Topic subject.

Are you interested in contributing a manuscript to this Research Topic?

Expanding Frontiers in Repellent Science: Mechanisms, Innovations, and Applications