Table 1.

Insect metabolomics studies

Insect order	Species	Research topic	Sample type	Techniques utilised	Conclusions
Diptera	Aedes aegyti	Juvenile hormone regulation	Solvent extract	HPLC‐FD*	Mevalonate and juvenile hormone pathways are highly dynamic and linked to reproductive physiology1
	Belgica antarctica	Temperature stress response	Solvent extract	GC‐MS	Freezing and desiccation are associated with increases in metabolites associated with carbohydrate metabolism and a decrease in free amino acids2. Shifts in metabolite pools are associated with changes in gene regulation related to dehydration3
	Chymomyza costata	Cryopreservation	Solvent extract, biofluid	GC‐MS, LC‐MS	Survival of cryopreservation is associated with increased proline levels in larval tissues4
	Drosophila melanogaster	Metabolomic profiling	Solvent extract, biofluid	GC‐MS, LC‐MS	Cold shock disturbs short‐ and long‐term cellular homeostasis5 , 6 , 7 , 8. Inbreeding, both in the absence and the presence of temperature stress, alters metabolic processes9. Lower rates of glycolysis occur in adapted flies undergoing hypoxia10 , 11 , 12. Age‐related decline of hypoxia tolerance is linked to reduced recovery of mitochondrial respiration13. >230 metabolites profiled across four Drosophila subspecies14 , 15. Bowman‐Birk inhibitor disrupts energy metabolism16. Long‐term cold acclimation modifies the larval metabolome12. Absolute quantification of 28 phospholipids17. Larvae with the y mutation have altered lysine metabolism18. CO2 exposure causes metabolic changes during short term recovery19. Infection by Listeria monocytogenes results in loss of energy store regulation20. Developmental and adult cold acclimation strongly promoted cold tolerance and restored metabolic homeostasis21
		Temperature stress responses
		CO₂ anaesthesia
		Bacterial infection
		Hypoxia
	Drosophila montana	Temperature stress responses	Solvent extract	GC‐MS, LC‐MS	Seasonal variations in thermoperiod are correlated with differential expression of myo‐inositol, proline and trehalose22
	Sarcophaga crassipalpis	Temperature stress response	Solvent extract	GC‐MS, 1D NMR	Rapid cold‐hardening elevates glycolysis associated metabolites whilst reducing levels of aerobic metabolic intermediates23
Hemiptera	Aphids (multiple species)	Trehalose analysis	Solvent extract, biofluid	1D NMR	High concentrations of trehalose are present in aphid hemolymph24. Removal of bacterial–insect symbiosis reduced expression of dietary metabolites, including essential amino acids25
		Insect–bacterial symbiosis
Hymenoptera	Apis mellifera	Nosema ceranae infection	Solvent extract, biofluid	GC‐MS, LC‐MS	Exposure to infectious pathogens and neonicotinoid pesticides results in altered larval and adult metabolism26 , 27
		Pesticide exposure
	Praon volucre	Diapause induction	Solvent extract	GC‐MS	Cold acclimation eliminated cryo‐stress associated homeostatic perturbations28
	Venturia canescens	Temperature stress responses	Solvent extract	GC‐MS	Increases in cold tolerance are associated with the accumulation of cryoprotective metabolites29
Lepidoptera	Helicoverpa armigera	Diapause induction	Solvent extract	GC‐MS, MALDI‐TOF	Diapause induces metabolic alterations associated with photoperiodic information and energy storage30
	Manduca sexta	Host parasitism	Biofluid	1D NMR	Insect parasitism enhances glucogenesis induction and halts lipogenesis31 , 32. Concentrations of small molecule metabolites change alongside larval development33
	Spodoptera frugiperda	Metabolomic profiling	Solvent extract	LC‐MS	Identification of major pathways associated with cellular protein productivity34
	Trichoplusia ni	Metabolomic profiling	Solvent extract	LC‐MS	Major pathways associated with cellular protein productivity identified34
Orthoptera	Chorthippus (multiple species)	Metabolomic profiling	Solvent extract	GC‐MS	Determination of water soluble and lipid components of abdomial secretions of grasshoppers35 , 36
	Locusta migratoria	Developmental phase transition	Solvent extract	1D NMR	Onset of solitary‐group behavioural phase transitions are regulated by carnitine expression37
	Schistocerca gregaria	Social behaviour	Biofluid	1D NMR	Concentrations of trehalose and lipids were lower in the haemolymph of crowd‐reared than in solitary‐reared nymphs38
Phasmatodea	Anisomorpha buprestoides	Venom analysis	Biofluid	1D, 2D NMR	Stick insect defence secretions contain high levels of glucose, lysine, histodine, serotonin and sorbitol39
	Peruphasma schultei	Venom analysis	Biofluid	1D NMR	Individual insects produce different stereoisomeric mixtures40
Plecoptera	Dinocras cephalotes	Hypoxia	Solvent extract	1D NMR/DI‐MS	Metabolic shifts associated with heat stress are more pronounced under hypoxia41

*High‐Performance Liquid Chromatography with Fluorescence Detection.

¹Rivera‐Perez et al. (2014); ²Michaud et al. (2008); ³Teets et al. (2012); ⁴Koštál et al. (2011b); ⁵Malmendal et al. (2006); ⁶Overgaard et al. (2007); ⁷Malendal et al. (2013); ⁸Williams et al. (2014); ⁹Pedersen et al. (2008); ¹⁰Feala et al. (2008); ¹¹Feala et al. (2009); ¹²Koštál et al. (2011a); ¹³Coquin et al. (2008); ¹⁴Kamleh et al. (2008); ¹⁵Kamleh et al. (2009); ¹⁶Li et al. (2010); ¹⁷Hammad et al. (2011); ¹⁸Bratty et al. (2012); ¹⁹Colinet & Renault (2012); ²⁰Chambers et al. (2012); ²¹Colinet et al. (2012a); ²²Vesala et al. (2012); ²³Michaud & Denlinger (2007); ²⁴Moriwaki et al. (2003); ²⁵Wang et al. (2010); ²⁶Aliferis et al. (2012); ²⁷Derecka et al. (2013); ²⁸Colinet et al. (2012b); ²⁹Foray et al. (2013); ³⁰Zhang et al. (2012); ³¹Thompson et al., (1990); ³²Thompson (2001); ³³Phalaraksh et al. (2008); ³⁴Monteiro et al. (2014); ³⁵Buszewska‐Forajta et al. (2014b); ³⁶Buszewska‐Forajta et al. (2014a); ³⁷Wu et al. (2012); ³⁸Lenz et al. (2001); ³⁹Zhang et al. (2007); ⁴⁰Dossey et al. (2006); ⁴¹Verberk et al. (2013).